The Bloodsworn
by PhoenixOwl
Summary: Azula's escaped, and Toph is her first target. What is Azula planning, and can Aang save Toph before it's too late? NOT Aang/Toph
1. Prologue

_Oh snap, I'm actually posting something?_

_Hopefully I can complete this; I have a few chapters written, and the plot somewhat planned. Wish me luck, and enjoy the prologue~!_

* * *

"A staggering amount of refugees are seeking shelter within our cities, my lord."

Zuko nodded, forcing his boredom from his expression. "What news on this front?"

"Well, my lord, the latest count puts the number at nearly fifty thousand. If we take in any more, the annual food stores may not support the population through the winter."

It was interesting, Zuko thought, that even a year after the war's end there would be such a mass of people labeled refugees. People expelled from their original homes, looking to the Fire Nation for a new life. Zuko considered it a testament to how badly his forefathers had shook the world, that there would be so many lives unhinged. At least they trusted Zuko's reformed Nation enough to desire to live within it's boundaries. Though Zuko knew that was probably due mostly to Aang. The young Avatar had truly done his best to reconcile any hatred left between the three remaining kingdoms.

"I will not close my borders to those in need, advisor," Zuko stated. "If food is an issue, then something needs to be worked out. Increase fishing, establish trade. Surely there are enough hands to help." Zuko had all but disbanded the army, leaving only enough to defend the country should the unfortunate need arise. Between retired soldiers and fifty thousand refugees, Zuko couldn't imagine any lack of labour.

The advisor nodded. "Of course, Lord Zuko, but I would advise against any long-term over-fishing. And farmland is rapidly shrinking due to your father's over-farming. The land is becoming less fertile, and I'm afraid fertile land is becoming harder to come by. Previous sites haven't had a chance to rejuvenate."

"Right..." Zuko sighed. He had spent three years banished from his country, three years that would have otherwise been spent learning how to run it. He didn't know much about these problems, or how to fix them.

Zuko looked up to see Aang standing patiently at the large double doors. His eyes met Zuko's, and he smiled. Zuko nodded.

"I will have to dwell on the issue. Perhaps a meeting is in order?" Zuko said to the advisor.

"A meeting, yes. I will gather the relevant personnel and arrange a time. That is all, my Lord." The advisor bowed low before turning to leave the throne room. He bowed a head to Aang as he disappeared through the doors.

Zuko stood from the throne and stepped down. Aang met him half-way. "Aang," Zuko smiled, pulling his old friend into an embrace. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"Oh, you know," Aang beamed. "I was just in the neighbourhood, so I figured I'd drop by."

Zuko opened his mouth, but was interrupted by his growling stomach. "Uhh," he said, blushing. "Perhaps we can talk over lunch?"

* * *

The royal dining room was grand. The high, vaulted ceiling above them was inlaid with windows, allowing the bright sun in. Tapestries lined the walls, and between them sat marble statues and porcelain vases on pedestals. Two dark, polished tables sat side by side, complete with two dozen chairs a piece. The dining room had been up-scaled by his father. It "impressed their important guests at dinner, when they were thinking about food rather than politics", his father used to say. It had rarely been used. No one within Ozai's rule had been important enough to try to impress.

Zuko sat at the end of one of the tables, his plate of roast duck and papaya half-eaten and long forgotten. Laughter shook him as Aang finished a recounting of past days.

"And then you said," Aang cleared his throat, lowering his voice, "'At least I made something happen. If it were up to you, we'd never have made it pass the courtyard.'" Aang's body went limp with his laughter. Zuko could feel the stitches in his own sides. God, he hadn't laughed this hard in months.

"If I recall," Zuko gasped for breath, "that wasn't so funny at the time. You were worried half to death."

"Me?" Aang cocked an eyebrow. "You were mister serious. You couldn't have made light of a box of CatHares."

Zuko rolled his eyes. Their laughter faded, smiles still clinging to their faces. "You know," Zuko said, turning his gaze back to his papaya. "It's boring around here without you."

"Well of course," Aang replied. "The fun's where I'm at."

"I wish you could stay. Help me fix this mess of a nation," Zuko sighed, his smile fading completely as he thought back to the hours he had spent that morning with his advisors. "There's a lot of work to do, a lot that my father messed up."

Aang leaned against the table. "I have my Avatar duties," he lamented. Zuko nodded, looking up at the boy. A hundred and thirteen years or not, Aang was still young. Zuko could see the toll his "duties" were taking on him. "I wouldn't know how to run a country anyway."

"It wouldn't matter," Zuko shrugged. "Just someone to make me laugh, take the edge off. Give me advice and encouragement. My Uncle used to fill that position, but it's not the same through letters."

Aang lifted his head, his eyes meeting Zuko's. "What about Mai?"

Zuko smiled mirthlessly. "Mai's great, she truly is."

"But..."

"I'm not the one for her. I can tell. She's retreated back into her old stoicism. she needs someone who can make her feel again. It's like she's just a shell, you know?"

Smiling encouragingly, Aang reached out and placed a hand on Zuko's arm. "You'll find someone. One day."

"Yeah..." Zuko returned the smile. They sat there for a moment, simply enjoying each other's company. A crash pulled them back to reality. One of the guards jogged up to their place at the table, his face red from exhaustion.

"Sir..." the guard gasped. "Azula... she's escaped..."

* * *

Aang scratched the back of his bald head. He stood in the small prison cell, staring at the bent metal bars of the door. Zuko was off to one side of the room, talking animatedly with one of the prison guards. Aang leaned forward for the dozenth time, scrutinizing the bars closely. They looked as though they had been heated and bent. But what had Azula used to bend the hot bars? Her hands? _Well,_ Aang pondered, _she was rather insane._

The prison guard bowed to Zuko and hurried out of the room. With a sigh Zuko turned back to the cell. The two benders exchanged looks.

"This isn't good," Zuko stated the obvious. "My sister was bad enough as it was. But an insane Azula... loose on the world?"

Aang smiled, but there was little mirth in the expression. "I'd rather be back fighting Ozai than dealing with her. Any idea where she might have gone?"

"Revenge," Zuko replied without thought. "She'd want to get back at me for stealing her throne."

"How?" Aang asked. "She hasn't come after you yet."

Zuko shook his head. "She would have gone after someone close to me. She'd want me to suffer..." Another sigh. "I just sent guards to protect Mai, but I doubt she's is any danger. Azula will be long gone by now."

Aang's heart skipped a beat. "What about the others? Katara, Sokka? Toph? Your Uncle?"

"The best I can do is send out messenger-hawks."

"I'll go," Aang offered, planting his staff on the stones determinedly. "Send out warnings. Hopefully with Appa I can get to everyone in time and make sure they're safe."

"Go. You have no time to lose," Zuko said. Aang nodded, and with a hasty farewell he sped out of the prison cell.


	2. Capture

_I don't really like how this turned out. I never do, though. Anyway, enjoy:_

* * *

Toph stood, rubbing her toes in the dirt path that stretched before her. She could feel the contours in the road, knew where each bend and turn lie. She would have known all of that without standing where she was. The path was a familiar one, one that brought back unwelcome emotions. Her nerves felt strained. Despite her usual, solid stance, she was worried that her legs might fail her. It had been nearly a year and a half since she had walked this path, but she knew she had to do it now. She owed that much to her parents.

She passed under the large gate, the vibrations in the earth sending her a clear picture. She could "feel" the elaborate gardens placed to either side of the road, the stone fountains on the grounds. Before the cold cobblestones of the paved pathway touched her feet, she had felt them there. They were... different, somehow. Her parents must have repaved the lane since she was last there. That wasn't unusual - with her parents' fortune, they had become somewhat over-zealous with renovations on their estate. It was one of the many things Toph didn't miss about her home life.

As she approached the front door, Toph pondered whether her parents would be glad to see her. Would they be proud of her, or want to lock her up again? Stories of Aang had spread through the three nations like wild-fire, and Toph's involvement certainly hadn't been left out. Her parents would have to be living under a rock to not know of Toph's accomplishments. And how much danger she had put herself through. She had to chuckle at the thought of her mother learning that Toph had been a part of the failed invasion a little over a year ago, or that she had hung from Sokka's fingers on a fire nation air-ship nearly a kilometer above the ground. Her face would have been priceless. Not that Toph would have seen it anyway...

Toph knocked hard on the wooden door and felt it give way. She frowned, feeling the air before her. The door had been loose. That was unlike her parents. They always kept the front door closed. Now that she thought about it, the front gate had been open as well. And unguarded. Her parents had always been on top of security. Perhaps her absence had softened their need? Toph stepped into the foyer cautiously, the memory of her capture in Ba Sing Se coming to the fore of her mind.

"Hello?" Toph called. Her voice echoed through the house. She moved forward, dragging her feet across the wooden planks. It was disconcerting, not being able to see with her feet.

Toph backed out of the house. As soon as her feet were back on the stone pavement, she stomped. One of the large cobblestones flew into the air, and she let it hover above her fingertips. Something about the situation sat wrong with Toph, and she wasn't about to enter the house unarmed.

Toph moved forward at a quick pace, calling out to her parents, to anyone. Her calls weren't answered. She used her memories of the mansion's layout to guide her from room to room, searching for anything that might tell here where everyone had gone. She couldn't imagine her parents just abandoning their estate. Her father had too much pride in it.

The eerie silence, broken only by the creaking of the floorboards under Toph's feet, unnerved her. She felt herself wishing fervently that she could see. As she turned to move down one of the many halls in the Bei Fong mansion, a smell tickled her nose. It was faint. Distant, and somehow suppressed. She wouldn't have been able to pick it up had her sense of smell not been sharpened due to her blind eyes. She moved forward, following the smell. It was pugnent, sour. Like the dead birds she used to find in the garden when she was young.

A horrible thought occurred to her, causing her pace to quicken. The smell was coming from her parents' master bedroom. As she flew into the doorway the smell hit her full force. Flies could be heard buzzing angrily around the room. With a hand over her nose, Toph stepped across the room, then abruptly stopped. Her foot had, painfully, collided with something wooden on the floor. A... chest. Her stone weapon fell to the floor as she knelt down and felt across the sides for a latch. Finding said latch, she threw it open, and nearly emptied her lunch onto the floor.

The smell of death overwhelmed her, caused her eyes to water. She pushed herself back with her legs, her back colliding with the wall. She didn't need to see to guess who was in that chest. Her parents. Someone had slaughtered her mother and father, and stuffed their remains in a box. An voice in the back of her head told her she didn't know that for certain. It could be two servants. She pushed that voice aside. She could dwell on that later; right now she had to get out.

Staving off the inevitable grief that began to well up inside her, Toph stood, making her way back to the front door with haste. Now she knew there was something wrong with this situation. The rest of the grounds had had no indication of anything wrong, except for it's odd abandonment. There was no obvious damage, no other dead bodies on the grounds. She had to get out of there now, get back to the earthen ground. It was a trap.

As though to confirm that thought Toph heard a snapping sound, and she was suddenly thrown off her feet. She felt herself rise into the air, heard the creaking of wooden planks as they set into place. _Of course,_ Toph sighed to herself. _A wooden cage._ She crawled to the edge of the cage and felt the wooden bars. They were strong, probably made of refined redwood. With a cry of frustration she crossed her arms and sat back. Once again she found herself caged, and once again her captor had taken precautions. It was almost enough to make her wish she had kept her metalbending a secret. Almost.

Laughter sounded from below her. Very evil, very insane laughter.

"Who are you and what the hell do you want?" Toph called angrily. The laughter continued. The voice triggered something in Toph's memory. "Azula..." she stated. She wanted to attack the woman, to dig fingers into her throat.

"Who else?" Azula replied, sounding rather pleased with herself. "You know, you're so easy to catch."

Toph snorted. "Why don't you say that when we're on even footing? Outside."

"As much as I'd love to chat, I have other matters to attend." Toph heard the Firebender's light footsteps retreat from the room. Toph pounded her fist against the wooden floor of the cage, causing it to creak slightly. She could get out had she not dropped her bloody stone.

Toph sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest. There was nothing else for it; she would have to wait for a chance to escape. She didn't think anyone would come to save her.

* * *

Appa landed with a grunt, his bulk burrowing into the untouched snow. Wind whipped at Aang's coat as he leapt off Appa. He had abandoned his usual monk attire for a traditional Fire Nation work outfit. It was warmer, and more practical.

"Alright, buddy. Stay here, get some rest. We're leaving first thing in the morning," Aang said, patting the Sky Bison's head. _To Sokka and Suki, hopefully,_ he added to himself.

Pulling his coat tight around himself, Aang stepped up to the large gates of the city. The ice glistened in the cold antarctic sun, a precursor to the beauty found within. Aang was impressed by how far the city had come in only a year. It felt like yesterday he had woken up in only a small village of a dozen houses.

A small stream of people passed through the gate, following the road that connected the city to the harbour. The traffic was only a trickle compared to that of Ba Sing Se, but Aang felt crowded nonetheless. His mind was cluttered, unorganized. He had been imagining the worst possible outcomes of this trip all night.

Aang walked past the guards freely - it was a time of peace, and the people were beginning to learn to trust foreigners. Usually it brought joy to Aang's heart, but today it worried him. Azula could have waltzed into the city without a problem. What if she had? What if she'd made off with her quarry already, fleeing to some untraceable corner of the earth? What if-?

Forcing his mind clear, Aang passed hurriedly through the snowy streets, ignoring the architectural marvels the waterbenders had accomplished. He quickly located the building he was looking for - a large, dome-shaped building near the city center. Here people bustled, visiting the marketplace and the commerce sections of the city, idling their time with companions along the central canals. Aang did his best to swiftly cut through the crowd without being intrusive. Nerves strangled his heart as he reached the door-flap of the building.

Inside the building was hollow, making up one large, circular room. An inner ring was indented in the center, taking up the majority of the room. Children filled the floor, evenly spaced into three rows. They moved slowly, practicing the flows of waterbending. Globs of water orbited each of them, jerking and jumping as the students tried to bend it around them. Along the walls of the building was a thin walkway, and at the end opposite the door was a raised pedestal. Aang breathed a sigh of relief. Katara stood on the pedestal, her agile body flowing through the same motions as the children, leading them in their exercises.

Aang stood inside the door for a few minutes, watching Katara as she repeated the motions, then hopped down to mingle with the children as they practiced, giving them some constructive criticism. The kids thrived under her teaching; their progress was immediately present after a quick word of advice from the waterbending teacher, and Aang knew they were already doing much better than average. From the looks of the kids, they were no more than four or five. Aang had hardly started to control his airbending at that age, let alone learning proper forms.

Katara glanced up and spotted Aang standing there. With a smile she turned to her class. "You're all doing excellent. I think that's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow." A roar of cheers echoed in the hollow dome as a stampede of children raced for the doors. Aang sidestepped to avoid being trampled.

Aang smiled as Katara approached. "Katara! I'm so glad you're okay," he said, pulling her into a friendly embrace.

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" Katara laughed into Aang's shoulder. When he didn't reply, she pulled away, frowning at him. "Aang, why wouldn't I be okay?"

Aang sighed. The happy reunion had lasted shorter than he'd hoped. "You didn't get Zuko's message then?" Of course she wouldn't have. The hawk had probably arrived mere minutes before he had. If at all. Appa was a fast flier when he needed to be.

"No... Aang, what's up? Wait, hold that thought." Katara said. She led him out of the schoolroom and down the snow-packed road. Her house was only a couple blocks away, in the more prestigious residential area of the city. It was a magnificent house, tall and intricately designed - she had crafted it herself. There were a number of changes since Aang's last visit, but in light of the situation he ignored them, instead focusing on deciding how he was going to tell Katara the news. A few minutes later found him seated on one of the animal-skin rugs in Katara's sitting quarters, a steaming cup of cocoa warming his hands.

"Now, what's going on, Aang?" Katara inquired, resuming where their brief conversation had left off.

"Azula's escaped," Aang replied, sighing heavily. Shock and confusion played on Katara's face. It was quickly replaced with worry. She had seen first-hand Azula's madness before her capture a year ago. She could imagine the horror Azula might inflict on the world.

Katara shook her head in disbelief. "How... when... No, wait. Are the others safe?"

"We found out yesterday. She can't have been gone long. Zuko sent out messages to warn everyone. You were the closest, so I came here first. I haven't been able to check anyone else." Aang sighed heavily again. "I'm worried about them."

The pattering of little feet drew Aang's attention away from the conversation. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw two young children scamper by the sittingroom door. One stopped, poking his head in.

"Katara!" The kid flew into the doorway and flung himself at Katara. The waterbender caught the child with a grunt. "You're home early!" Aang eyed the child with a raised eyebrow. One of Katara's cousins?

"That I am," Katara replied, pulling the boy off her. "How were your lessons?"

"Boooooring," the boy whined. "Why do I have to go to school?"

"To learn," Katara said simply. She grabbed the boy's shoulders and turned him around to face Aang. "Katcha, this is Aang."

Smiling awkwardly, Aang raised a hand in greeting. Katcha's eyes widened. "The Avatar? Oh! Hi!" The boy shoved a thumb to his chest. "I'm Katcha. I'm six-and-a-half years old. I know all about you."

"Uhh... Hi," Aang said faintly. Leaning to one side he shot a confused glance at Katara.

"Katcha, why don't you go find your sister and go play. Me and Aang have important things to talk about," Katara said, giving Katcha a small push in the direction of the door.

Katcha groaned. "But Nia is so mean. I don't want to play with her." Katara gave the boy a stern look. Sighing in resignation, he trotted out of the room.

Once Katcha's footsteps had faded into the house, Katara shook her head, but not without a smile. "I adopted Katcha and Niabi a few months ago. Their parents were killed in the war. I love them, but sometimes they're quite the handful."

"Adopted..." That surprised Aang. It still seemed that Katara was hardly more than a child herself. Though, the thought of Katara having settled down brought a smile to Aang's lips. "I need to visit my friends more often. Things happen so quickly," Aang laughed. "So do the scamps have an adoptive father?" he asked with a teasing smile. After the war, he had gone off to take care of Avatar duties, and Katara had stayed with the Southern Water Tribe to help build, and to teach future waterbenders. Their relationship had sort of died with distance. Aang didn't really mind; he figured his infatuation with Katara had been due more to his passage into puberty than anything.

Katara shook her head. "Between teaching and those two, I don't get much time for dating." She shrugged, her eyes becoming wistful.

"You must make a great mother," Aang said seriously.

Katara smiled at him before getting to her feet. "And you must be hungry. I'll put together some supper. Stewed sea prunes sound good?"

Aang stopped himself from making a face. "Uhh, yeah. Sure." He gave her a weak smile. As soon as she had disappeared through the door, he gagged at the wall. How could anyone like that stuff? Sighing, he moved to stare out the small window at a half-dozen children playing a waterbending sport out on the street. The sun was already falling below the horizon, casting an orange glow on the sparkling snow. His mind wandered to his other friends. He hoped they were all safe...

* * *

_I'll delve more into Toph's reaction to her parent's death, and her doubts thereof, in the next chapter. I figured Toph would have been the type to put her emotions aside when she knew she had to keep it together._

_Do you like it, hate it? Think it sucks? Review if you have the time. I'd love to hear your opinions! :D_


	3. Night Air

_I don't see why I have to do this (it seems a little obvious, considering I'm posting on Fanfiction), but just in case: Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I don't own Avatar. I do own your souls, but that's not relevant here._

_Right, well. Here's the third chapter. Updates will probably slow to every Saturday from here on so that I can work on other stories. (Ie. visit my dA for original work. You know you want to. Link is in my profile.)  
_

_Anywho, enjoy! I demands it! :D_

* * *

Toph ran. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her chest tightened from the exertion, but she didn't slow. Fear gripped her, shattering her wits in it's cold hands. Dark surrounded her - not the ever-present darkness that accompanied her blindness. Something greater. Heavier.

Reverberations returned to her feet, showing her the topography around her. There was nothing - no hills, no rocks. The only reason she knew it was earth beneath her was because of her earthbending. She was surrounded by nothing. And it was slowly pressing in.

A sudden cold chill swept across Toph and she stopped, letting her knees buckle beneath her. She planted her hands on the ground, gulping in air, filling her lungs with life. It felt like she was breathing death. Curling in on herself to defend against the growing cold, she let a tear fall from her face. She was going to go insane.

A whisper carried on the wind. Faint, hearable only by her toned ears. She sat up, straining. "Toph..." the voice repeated. Toph blinked, turning to face the direction of the sound.

"Mother?" Toph whispered under her breath, then louder, "Mother!" Toph leapt to her feet. Her mother was alive! She knew it!

"Toph!" Her mother's screamed. The sound shattered the silence in her mind. The agony it carried shook Toph to her core. "Toph! Help!"

"Mother! I'm coming!" Gods, what was happening? Toph ran harder that she'd ever done so in her life. She wanted to collapse, to weep for her mother. But she pushed forward. She had to help. She had to get to her mother's side.

Something slammed into Toph, flinging her back. Instinctively she rolled, jumping back to her feet. She stomped the ground, bending part of the earth up. Nothing happened. She tried again, grunting in frustration. Nothing.

With a howl she shot forward once more, and suddenly something was before her. She could visualize the vibrations sharper than anything before. Two people stood before her, so clear, so detailed. Somehow, she recognized one of them to be her mother.

"Toph, please!" her mother cried, tears spilling down a disheveled face. The second woman, tall and beautiful, pressed a palm against her mother's breast. Her mother screamed the pain of a thousand dieing souls.

"Mother!" Toph shouted, sharing in her mother's agony. The sound wrenched her heart from her chest. Toph charged forward, but the taller woman extended a hand. Toph was thrown back a second time. The woman laughed, and Toph knew all sanity had left the woman.

"You think you can really save your poor, pathetic mother?" the woman sneered. She removed her hand from her mother's chest. Her mother fell limp. Chains appeared above her head, clasping her wrists and holding her upright.

"You sick bastard," Toph spat at the woman. A sudden realization hit her. It was Azula, Zuko's deranged sister. "I'll kill-"

Blood soaked Toph, dragging her down into the unearthen ground. She was pulled into the depths of a red pool. It consumed Toph, drawing from her own blood, slowly draining her sanity.

Azula laughed, the sound ringing through the darkness. "Death shall prevail. All must fall below the glory of the BloodQueen!" Azula drew a knife, and Toph watched in horror as she punched the knife into her mother's side. Her mother's screams drowned out all coherent thought. The knife retracted. Toph screamed. The blade slid across throat, across wrist. Pain pressed down. Death wailed it's cry. All was-

* * *

Toph sat bolt-right up, drenched in a cold sweat. Staring into the blind darkness, she shivered, trying to reattach her mind to reality. She swayed with the movements of the wooden cage, breathing heavily the cold night air. What a nightmare. The memories of it were already fading from her mind, but the fear still clutched to her breast. She couldn't remember ever feeling so terrified, so helpless.

_I shouldn't be surprised,_ Toph sighed, wiping her brow. She'd discovered both her parents dead only... Toph glanced at the sky. Not that it did her much good. She could tell from the air though that it was night, which meant she'd slept for quite a time. It had hardly been past noon when she'd arrived at the Bei Fong mansion.

The thought of her parents stung Toph's eyes, tears threatening to turn to sobs. She still hadn't let herself dwell on their death - whether she should mourn their loss or deny their death, she didn't know. She didn't doubt that Azula would have killed her parents, but some part of her - a large part - hoped fervently that they were still alive somewhere. Tears rolled down Toph's cheeks. She pulled her legs up to her chest, letting the sobs come freely. Her head pounded from the crying, but she didn't care. She needed to let this out, allow herself to cope with the possible death of her parents. She would need to hold together in the future.

Time passed slowly. After a few minutes of uncontrollable mourning, Toph pushed herself back, leaning against the wooden railings. From the motions of the cage, Toph guessed she was being transported somewhere. Hopefully a rescue party could follow the trail and save her. _But how long would it be until someone found I was missing? _Toph thought sadly. _No one would have a reason to "check up" on me while I was at my parents... Crap..._ Something told her that her escape would have to be by her hand alone.

Sighing, Toph tried to calm herself by listening to the night. The only sounds to split the crisp air were the creaking of the cage and the common night sounds. No sounds of people, or whatever creature was bearing her cage. Toph relaxed a little, breathing the crisp air deeply. Her body still felt weak from the dream.

The clatter of a plate echoed in the relative silence, jolting Toph back to her situation. She felt the wood bump against her hand. She smiled mirthlessly - she had almost hoped for clay plates. Her captor had already gone to great lengths to keep Toph from any means of escape. Obviously Azula had thought out all the details Oh well, it was more interesting this way.

Toph picked up the plate and sniffed its contents curiously. It reeked, like something she'd find buried deep in old Iroh's dirty laundry. Her nose protested the smell, but Toph plunged a hand into the goo anyway. She would need to keep up her strength. Besides, had Azula wanted her dead, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths just to poison her.

The food tasted like something dug up from between a city's cobblestones. In the poor districts. It nearly made Toph gag. Capture and torment she could handle, but her stomach wasn't very forgiving.

She ate quickly, the sludge sliding down her throat as fast as she could make it. As soon as she dropped the empty plate, she heard it get whisked away. Seconds later a hand grasped the back of her collar, pulling her against the wooden bars. Toph gasped, startled.

"Let me go!" Toph shouted, pulling against the grip. The sound of her top ripping rent the night air, and she felt the fabric fall down one shoulder. A palm pressed against the bare skin, and heat seared the flesh. Toph let out a cry of terror.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Azula's cold voice said. Toph was released, and she clambered back to the center of the cage. She felt the cool air against the fresh burns on her shoulder, and moved a hand to protect them. The touch made her wince in pain.

"What do you want, Azula?" Toph growled. She dropped her hand, glaring in the direction she thought Azula was. She couldn't show weakness. Not in front of her captor. Not in front of Azula.

"What do I want?" Azula laughed heartily. "I want what my brother took from me. I want what's rightfully mine."

"And how is my capture supposed to help with that?" Toph asked, crossing her arms. The last time she had met Azula - over a year ago now - the woman had been completely insane. Toph couldn't tell if she had been able to reign in that sanity or not.

There was a moment's pause, and then: "Is that really information you need?"

"Aren't you supposed to gloat or something? What am I going to do, tell all your plans to the Squirrelowls?"

"Yes, well, if you must know. You're bait. And a... needed ingredient. I'll have all the power that I need to take back the throne of the Fire Nation. And finish what my father failed so miserably at." Azula started mumbling something under her breath.

Toph, having understood nothing of Azula's explanation, strained to hear what the woman was saying. It sounded incoherent. She shook her head. "Aang will stop you. He'll be on his way by now."

"Isn't that kind of cliche for the captive to say. Anyway I intend on it. He's the fish I want to catch with you." Azula chuckled.

"He's beaten you before. He can do it again."

"Four benders, sworn by blood. Together powers unimaginable told. Tales brought upon the shore," Azula recited, her voice resonating oddly. "Four benders, drawn by light. Cast beneath the ancient wrotes. Together shall the BloodQueen born." With those last words Azula's voice rose, and in it Toph heard the rage of many long-dead emperors. A shiver went down her spine.

"That's not a very good poem," Toph said mockingly. "I've done better." It certainly made no sense. Perhaps Azula hadn't grasped her sanity yet.

Azula chuckled. Toph waited for her retort, but none came. Once again she was alone in her captivity, left to stare patiently into her blind abyss.

* * *

When Aang awoke it was still dark, the predawn stillness gripping the city. Not one to lie in bed, he pushed the furs off himself, jumped into his clothes, and decided to take a short stroll. He would leave as soon as dawn rose, but he wanted to say his farewells to Katara first.

The streets were empty, silent in the crisp morning air. Small fires hung from poles, lighting up the streets enough for Aang to see by. He wandered without any real destination, letting his mind clear. The monks had always said there was nothing like an early morning walk to calm the mind.

Aang glanced up, the moon large in the sky. Stars dotted the black canvas, and Aang could spot a number of constellations. It reminded him of home, of the Air Nomads, before he had frozen himself in ice. Gyatso and he used to spend hours staring at the night sky, learning about the different star patterns. A tinge of nostalgia pressed down on his heart.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" an elderly voice said behind him. Aang turned to find Katara's grandmother standing there, watching the sky.

"Yeah..." Aang sighed.

They stood there for a few minutes, mesmerized by the twinkling sky, before Gram-Gram moved to stand beside Aang. She placed a motherly hand on his shoulder. Since the end of the war, Aang had come to know Gram-Gram, viewed her as the grandmother he'd never had. She always had a comforting smile or good advice to share.

"How is she, really?" Aang asked, shifting his gaze to the elder. The person in question was clear. Underneath the smiles, Aang had seen a weariness in Katara. So much responsibility for someone still in her mid-teens must be wearing.

Katara's grandmother frowned. "She's doing well enough," she replied. Aang could hear the worry in her voice. "She takes a lot of things on herself."

Aang nodded. A glimmer of pride leapt into the woman's eyes as she continued, "She's strong though. She always has been." Gram-Gram paused for a moment before asking, "How are you coping?"

Aang frowned at the question. He often felt his duties pressing down on him. But they had to be done - he was the Avatar, after all. After a moment's thought, he simply shrugged. "I'm coping." At that moment, he was more concerned for the others than himself.

The elderly woman nodded. Aang knew she understood his position well. "We'll keep her safe," Gram-Gram said, reading Aang's thoughts. "Her grandfather won't let anything happen to her. And I'm sure the others are safe as well." It didn't surprise Aang that Katara had confided in her grandmother about the current events. Aang was glad there were people to watch over Katara.

The horizon was beginning to glow with an faint orange light. Saying farewell to Katara's grandmother, he began to head back towards Katara's house. She would be waking soon - unlike her brother, she'd always woken at first light.

Katara was indeed awake when Aang returned. She was outside, leaning against the wall by the door. She rose a hand in greeting as Aang approached.

"Nice walk?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah," Aang replied. "Saw your grandmother, too."

Katara chuckled. "She's always up and about this early. You'd think she never slept." Katara reached into her tunic and drew out a small, wrapped package. "Something for your trip. I wish I could go..."

Aang accepted the package gratefully. "Thanks," he said. "You have your duties here." He smiled broadly. "What would poor Katcha and Niabi do without you?"

Katara gave him a grateful smile. "Anyway," Aang continued. "I should be going, if I want to reach Kyoshi Island by tomorrow."

With a last, farewell embrace, Aang said goodbye and began to head toward the large, open-roofed stables near the city wall. Appa had been moved there the evening before, and there Aang found the Sky Bison now, munching on a pile of hay. Aang patted Appa's soft head gently. Airbending, he leapt up onto Appa's head and grabbed the reins. "Yip yip."

* * *

_Hopefully the first scene isn't too over the top in it's weirdness and violence. I debated it, and decided to leave it. Hopefully it'll become apparent why later._

_Anyway, obligatory R&R!_


	4. Water and Fire

_Sorry this is late. Between paper due dates and exams, I was too lazy to do any editing. But here it is. It's a bit longer this time, too._

_Enjoy~!_

_Oh: Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Really, I swear._

_(March 23, 2011 Edit: Did you do something with your hair? You look good. No, really stellar. I'm not just saying that. Now, for anyone interested, I'm not dead (I think), and neither is this story. I'm working on it, honest I am. I'm gunning to finish writing the whole story by the end of the month, and I'm posting April 31st, whether I like it or not. So hide yo kids, hide y-)_

* * *

Three days had passed since Toph's capture, and she was starting to feel the effects. Her stomach growled, wanting more substantial meals. Her body felt weak; her mind was beginning to blur the hours. Worst of all, her body sported a number of burns, Azula's way of "having fun", it seemed. All in all, Toph was not happy.

What marked this day as special relative to the others was that, for the first time since leaving the Bei Fong estate, they had stopped. In the distance Toph could hear voices. She was leaning against the cage bars, straining to hear, but so far she had gotten nothing. Azula's odd poem had settled on her mind after that first night, and Toph wanted to know what it meant. It sounded ominous; Azula's voice had been almost inhuman. There was also the added distress that the words had sounded eerily familiar. From her dream, she knew. But that must have been coincidence.

Toph heard footsteps approaching, and she casually shifted back to the center of the cage. It didn't matter, really - Azula's firebending could reach her anywhere. She felt safer in the center, though. Less vulnerable.

The cage suddenly lurched, and Toph heard a loud thump and a cry, as though something heavy had been tossed in. Toph pushed up to a kneeling position, steeling herself to take whatever surprise Azula had for her this time.

"Meet your new cell mate," Azula said in an almost bored voice. Curiously, Toph reached out, and sure enough her hand rested on the back of another person. The new captive jerked at her touch, scrambling to the cage's edge. Azula chuckled. "You two have fun now. Or actually, I'd rather you didn't." Her laughter faded as she strolled from the cage.

"Who... who are you?" a male voice asked. It trembled, heavy with fear.

"Toph..." she replied, crossing her arms. If first impressions were anything to go by - and her father had always said they were - than this man would be of no help to her escape. He sounded more frightful than a pack of DeerSheep. He'd probably be more a hindrance than anything.

"Toph... You mean, the earthbender?" the man asked. Toph nodded. "Oh thank the gods. If there's anyone who can get us out, you can!"

Toph rapped her knuckles against the wooden floor. "Can't bend in here. And the wood is too hard to break through manually."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," the man quickly interjected. Toph could tell that he needed the hope, so she just shrugged.

"I'm Qin," the man continued, some strength returning to his voice. "I'm a waterbender."

Toph perked up. Perhaps she had been wrong about Qin. He might be useful after all. Toph recalled the last time she had been imprisoned in a wooden cage. Katara had bent her own sweat and cut a way out. Hopefully this Qin could do the same.

"A waterbender, eh?" Toph smiled. "Well, we'll have to see what you're made of. I might have an idea. But it'll have to wait 'till dark." Toph hated having to wait. Another day in this cage and she would go insane. She was not the patient type...

Qin gave a sigh of relief.

"So, what're you in here for?" Toph asked after a moment's silence. What could Azula possibly want with Qin?

She heard the man sigh again. "I don't know, really. Me and my master were passing through to Ba Sing Se, when he just... up and sold me to that..." Qin trailed off, apparently unable to think of a suitable insult for Azula. Or too afraid Azula might hear.

"Your master sold you? Ouch, harsh," Toph said sympathetically. "Mine trapped me in a metal box once. But he was a lousy teacher anyway."

The cage lurched forward once again. They were moving. Toph sat back down, resting her head in her hands. At least she would have company now.

"I don't know why he did it," distress seeped into Qin's voice. Waterbender or no, the man was certainly emotional. Toph hoped he could control it when necessary. "He always called me his best student. Which is saying something! And only for a few Earth Kingdom coins..."

A skilled waterbender, eh? Toph's mind began to crank gears. First Azula had captured Toph, and then a waterbender. She had initially assumed that capturing her had been to incite Zuko somehow. Then Azula had told Toph that she was simply "bait" for Aang. And an "ingredient", what ever that meant. Was this man another part of Azula's plan? Another "ingredient"? What _was_ Azula planning? Thinking about it frustrated Toph. _The schemes of an insane woman doesn't make sense. How bloody surprising._ But she knew there had to be something there. Something she wasn't picking up on.

* * *

Toph could hear the crickets beginning to chirp, telling her that dusk was falling. The air was starting to cool, and even a PidgeonOwl had hooted a couple times. Sitting up straight, Toph whispered Qin's name, and was immediately met with a quiet, "Hmm?"

"Is it dark out?" she asked.

"Erm... not really. Not yet," her companion captive replied. "Can't you-. Oh, wait. Right."

She waved a hand in front of her face. "It's always dark." She smiled to take the guilt out of the statement. She had gotten used to people forgetting her eyesight.

Toph motioned Qin closer and, after Qin made sure there was no one within earshot, began to explain her plan to Qin.

"Okay, here's the plan. You don't have any water on you, do you? No? I didn't think so. Okay, when it gets dark, I want you to do a handful of sit-ups or push-ups or whatever. When- don't interrupt me! When you've gotten all sweaty, bend your sweat, and start slashing at one of the cage bars. You should be able to cut through it. Be quiet about it, though. If Azula finds out, we're dead."

Less than an hour passed in silence before Toph heard the low grunts of Qin working up a sweat. Toph kept her ears sharp, listening for any signs of Azula's approach. She had gotten better at listening for the woman over the past couple days - she walked almost as lightly as Aang did. Nerves tried to grip her, but she ignored them. If this didn't work, they might not have another shot for awhile. She needed to remain completely calm.

The sound of water slashing at the wood started up. It sounded much too loud for Toph's liking, but she knew there wasn't much she could do about it. As long as Qin got through the bars before Azula heard. Then Toph could get onto the ground and earthbend their way to safety.

"It is working?" Toph whispered impatiently. It was taking a lot longer for Qin to get through than it had Katara. Admittedly, Toph didn't think there were many waterbenders as strong as Katara. Still...

"The wood is strong..." Qin replied. His voice sounded strained. "It's cutting, though."

Toph jumped at the sound of an owl hooting in the distance. Cursing, she forced herself to calm down. She needed a level head in case things went awry.

"I'm... almost there..." Qin gasped out.

"Hmm, not quite." Toph sat up straight. Azula. She had snuck up on them completely. Maybe her approach had been hidden by the sound of the water cutting. It didn't matter. They were screwed now.

Toph felt a searing sensation as fire scorched her skin. She winced, gritting her teeth through the pain. Qin fell to the cage floor with a pained cry a moment later.

"Trying to escape, are we?" Azula gave an amused sigh. "It's no use. You're too precious for me to get sloppy."

"Screw you," Toph growled. She spat in Azula's direction. "We'll get out, and then I'll make you wish you had rotted in Zuko's dungeon."

Despite her position at the center of the cage, Azula's hand grabbed Toph's arm and pulled, slamming her into the cage bars. The touch burned hotter than ever, branding Toph with the woman's hand-print. Azula squeezed down hard, pulling Toph's arm. Toph felt her shoulder pop out of its socket and let out a cry of pain. What the hell kind of monster was this woman?

"You are going to give me powers beyond imagining, brat. And then I'm going to revel in torturing you until you beg for my mercy," Azula pressed her other palm against the back of Toph's neck. Toph felt her mind begin to shut down from the pain. "When I'm done with you..." Azula released Toph with a satisfied "hmph", and she collapsed onto the cage floor, breathing heavily. Rather than finishing her threat, Azula disappeared, once again mumbling to herself under her breath.

As soon as she was gone, Qin crawled over to Toph. He took her disjointed arm in his hands. Toph let out a hiss of pain, pulling away instinctively.

"Hold still," Qin ordered. "I know a little first-aid." A moment later Toph felt the pain of her arm being shoved back into place. She bit back another shout of pain. Her brain protested the constant abuse. The burn on her arm festered agonizingly, and the back of her neck throbbed.

Qin helped Toph into a sitting position, then sat beside her. "That woman is insane..." Qin whispered, more to himself than Toph.

"Hmm, yeah," Toph replied through the pain.

"Are you okay?" asked Qin lamely.

Toph let out a small chuckle. "I'll live. I guess that plan didn't work..."

"It was a good one," Qin said. Fear had returned to his voice.

Toph simply nodded, then let herself slide down the bars to the floor. She needed some rest...

* * *

Clouds drifted above Aang's head, swirling in the early morning breeze. He was curled up in the fur of Appa's head, his eyes still adjusting to the sunlight. Dawn was just breaking, and Aang could feel Appa shift below him. He would have to get moving again if he wanted to reach Kiyoshi Island by that evening.

With a deep yawn, Aang grabbed a small gourd and hopped off Appa, strolling to the lazy stream they had bedded beside. He sat on his haunches and cupped his hands into the cold water, splashing it in his face. The chill shocked him to wakefulness. He sighed, wiping his face and scooping another handful of water to drink. The warm summer sun dried his face quickly despite the chill island air.

Filling the gourd with water for their trip, Aang airbended, jumping back up onto Appa's head. They took off into the sky, skimming the underbelly of the clouds. The terrain rushed by below, rolling hills topped with trees flattening into a vast mountain range that spanned miles. Against the horizon Aang could see the ocean. They would reach it in an hour or two, he figured, then cross the ocean to Kyoshi throughout the afternoon. He hoped to be greeting Sokka and Suki by early dusk.

Aang's stomach growled loudly, telling him it was past time for breakfast. Crawling up Appa's back, he pulled himself into the saddle and grabbed the package Katara had given him the morning before. Inside he found a some of Katara's cookies and a large loaf of bread - both of which he downed hungrily - and a separately wrapped package. As Aang picked up the second package, a paper fell from the wrapping, nearly blowing away in the wind. Aang snatched it out of the air.

Setting everything else in his lap, Aang slowly unfolded the paper. Katara's perfect handwriting ran along the paper. Aang scanned through it quickly, then sat back to read it again in depth:

_Aang_

_I hope you enjoyed the food, and are safely on your way to Sokka's._

_I just wanted to apologize. I know you're the Avatar, and that my decision to remain in the city would force us to remain distant, but I had no right to snap at you when I found out about... well, you know. I suppose I knew all along, anyway. It was sort of obvious. I don't know why I'm saying this now, and I know this apology should be in person, but I hope you understand. I hope you can visit more often once you return to your regular routine. We really don't see much of each other these days!_

_Please, take care of yourself. And thank-you, for everything._

_Katara_

Aang smiled slightly to himself as he folded the letter and pocketed it. He didn't know where the apology had come from, but he felt as though a small bit of stress had lifted from his shoulders. In all honesty, he thought he was the one that needed to apologize to bring about closure, but... He shook his head. He and Katara would probably have a very heart-felt talk next time he saw her. Perhaps they could truly progress towards being the friends they once were.

Unwrapping the other package that had been tucked within the first, Aang found a roll filled to the brim with berries. Juice dripped out of the end, forming a stain in the cloth wrapping. Aang bit into it, the taste of half a dozen different berries oozing over his tongue. He moaned in satisfaction. Katara certainly knew how to make his tongue do back-flips - when she avoided the ocean cuisine, that is. As he was savouring his second bite, however, he was nearly thrown off Appa's back. The Sky Bison had made a very sudden, very sharp left turn.

Placing the roll down, Aang leapt out of the saddle and grabbed Appa's reins. Appa pulled up, merging into the clouds. Just before his vision was obscured, Aang saw a streak of fire sear the air under Appa's belly.

The clouds before him suddenly flared red. Aang pulled on Appa's reins, forcing him to bank left again. He felt the heat as fire scorched his left chin. A second blast roared over his head, forcing him to duck.  
_What the hell?_ Aang scanned the cloud-cover, attempting to spot his assailant. It was no use. The clouds were too think to see far. He was all but blind.

Standing up on Appa's head, Aang grabbed his staff, preparing for the next attack. The wind whistled in his ears as he strained his senses, watching, waiting.

There was a distant shout of exertion, and a torrent of fire threatened to encircle them. Aang bent the air around them, fanning the fire out, dissipating it. He twirled his staff, bringing it down in the direction the fire had come from. A shot of air extended from his staff, spliting the clouds momentarily. He saw a shadow shift in the distance before the condensed fluff surrounded it again.  
Leading Appa down below the cover of the clouds, he watched their underbellies, waiting for his attacker to emerge. Fire shot out of a cloud a few hundred yards away, angling away from him. It dissipated before reaching the ground. Then, in a swirl of cloud, emerged a beast unlike any Aang had ever seen. It was large - nearly as large as Appa - and almost lizard-like, with two enormous wings. It's body fanned out into a large tail-wing that it used to push itself forward. Teeth lined ferocious jaws, and it snapped hungrily as it descended toward him.

Atop the beast was a man dressed in all-black. He moved, fire flying from his hands. Aang twisted his staff, deflecting the blow.

"Head to the ground, buddy. I'll be there in a minute," Aang told Appa. He leapt off the Sky Bison's head and, with another twirl of his staff, released the glider within. He bent air up, pushing the glider and himself up into the air, toward the oncoming beast. He dodged fire blast after fire blast, quickly closing in on his attacker.

With a shout Aang landed on the back of the lizard-like creature. It stopped, twisting, trying to snap at it's new cargo. Aang ducked below a torrent of fire, and formed a shell of air around himself. He pushed, forcing the air out. It knocked the man off balance. Aang took that opportunity to throw his own fire assault. Two concentrated blasts. The fire caught, igniting the man's black robes.

With a shout of surprise, Aang's opponent tried to pat the flames out with his hands. Aang charged. He used a couple bursts of air to keep the flames alive but controlled, and swept his staff at the man's knees, taking his legs out from under him. He fell hard on the lizard's back.

Aang pulled water from a nearby cloud. He used some of it to put out the fire, and the rest formed a pair of ice cuffs around the man's hands. Aang then turned and grabbed the reins of the lizard beast. A few tugs later, and Aang had successfully landed the creature on a large foothill, much to the latter's chagrin. Grabbing his new captive, Aang leapt from the beast's back and immediately bent the earth beneath it, rooting it in place.

Safely on the ground, Aang turned to his captive. The man glared at him, eyes cold and defiant. His face was covered by a black cloth. Only his eyes and hands were visible.

Aang grabbed the face cloth and tore it away, revealing the man's hateful snarl. "Why did you attack me?" Aang demanded. He spat at Aang.

"I'll die before I say anything," the man defied as Aang wiped spittle from his face. Aang opened his mouth to retort when the man began to spasm. Foam built at the mouth. Then the man screamed piercingly, and fell limp. A drop of blood leaked from the corner of one eye, trailing down his face and into the dirt.

Aang couldn't help but shiver. He wasn't sure what he had just witnessed, but he didn't think it was good. The man's death wasn't natural - that much Aang knew. Backing away from the body, Aang let the bindings on the lizard fall and leapt into the air, pulling out his glider. He needed to find Appa and get moving again. Somehow, he felt there was more urgency to get to his friends than before.

Finding Appa behind a large rock jutting up from the ground, Aang landed lightly on his head and grabbed the reins. "Yip yip." Appa leapt into the air. Wind beat against Aang's coat as they ascended. The landscape below flew by. Aang leaned over to watch as plains overtook foothills. The mountain range rose in the far distance behind and to their left, fading rapidly under the clouded sky. The shoreline was only a few minutes away. _Crap,_ Aang thought. They were still quite a distance from Kyoshi Island. He would feel a lot better when he found Sokka and Suki alive and well.

Leaning back against Appa's neck, Aang shifted his thoughts to the man he had left back on the plains. Where had he come from, and what had he wanted? Revenge came to Aang's mind - he had seen a number of rogue firebenders angry that Aang had liberated their Nation, or angry that Zuko was a failed leader. Perhaps the man had something to do with Azula? Aang discarded that as unlikely. She had only been out a week. The attack felt too planned.

There was also the issue of the giant... lizard thing. Aang had never seen anything like that before, and the monks had taught him a great deal about the fauna of the world. The beast had had a feral quality about it, as though it was only loosely tamed. It had frightened Aang more than he cared to admit.

One thing he knew for certain was that the man wasn't working alone, and that worried him greatly. He had given his life to protect the information he held - who he was working with, or for; what his motives had been. Then again, maybe the man had just been insane. Aang sighed. He'd bring it up to Sokka when he got to the Island. Sokka would know what to do. That was, of course, assuming he was safe.

The time passed agonizingly slow. A brief break in the cloud-cover showed the sun angled past it's zenith, a couple hours past noon at least. He pushed Appa to his limit. Another hour passed before Aang could see the hills that bordered the ocean; the island Kyoshi herself had moved so long ago. The sight always filled Aang with a bit of pride, knowing what his past self had accomplished in her life. Reminding him what he himself had already accomplished.

A dark cloud jerked Aang's gaze upward. It was swirling upwards from behind the hill, tumbling over itself wildly. Not a cloud - smoke. Aang's heart began to race as he tightened his grip on the reins, attempting to push Appa faster.

The glow of fire was visible as he topped the hill, and the forms of hundreds of fleeing people soon after. Aang forced Appa into a nose-dive, leaping from his head as they neared the ground. He flicked his staff into his glider and shot toward the town at an alarming speed. Shouts filled the choked air. Aang bent the air around him, keeping the smoke from suffocating him. A swift gust of wind prevented a painful impact as he landed, staff in hand.

As soon as he landed it was immediately apparent what the people were running from. Three firebenders could be seen in the street ahead, flames leaping from their hands. Those buildings not already up in flames were quickly consumed. One of the firebenders turned a hand toward a fleeing civilian, and Aang watched in horror as fire engulfed the elderly man, his cries of torment rising above the cacophony. Rage simmered on the edges of Aang's mind.

Aang noticed one important detail about the men - they all wore black, from head to toe. Only their hands and eyes were visible. Aang shot forward, bending air to amplify his speed. He slammed into the firebender whom had torched the old man, taking him by surprise. He brought his twirling staff down, a crack renting the air as it collided with the man's skull.

He ducked. Heat scorched the air where his head had been. Turning, Aang found he had attracted the attention of the other two firebenders. A frown creased his face as he stood.

They danced, Aang dodging, the firebenders moving through the forms. Fire filled the air between them, blocking Aang's view. Grunting, he bent a block of earth up, and pressed his back to it. The fire stopped. Bending air, Aang jumped up and over his makeshift-wall. The two men shifted their gazes up, but Aang was too quick. Before they could react he bent the earth again, encasing one in rock. He left a small hole at the top for air. He doubted the firebender would remain alive enough to question, though.

The remaining firebender attacked, a barrage of fire flying Aang's way. Aang twisted his staff, dissipating it with air. The assault continued. He leapt up, over the torrent of fire, and twirled his staff above his head, slowing his fall. He bent a shield of air around him and dropped into the cover of the fire.

When the fire finally stopped, Aang was feet from the firebender. The man gave a shout of surprise, throwing a fireball Aang's way, but it was deflected by his shield. Aang kicked tripping the man with air. When Aang landed he bent earth, encasing him in a box of earth as well. Remembering the first man he had knocked unconscious, Aang turned. The man was getting up, rubbing the side of his head. Aang quickly encased him too.

Sighing tiredly, Aang approached the closest box - the one containing the firebender he had tripped. Preparing himself, he let the earth fall away, and jumped. He caught the man's arms with his hands and straddled him, glaring at his concealed face.

"What are you doing here?" Aang shouted, motioning toward the inferno around him. "These are innocent people!"

The man snorted. "You think I care, Avatar?" he scoffed. His voice was muffled from the cloth, and with the surrounding noise Aang had to lean in to hear him. "They're necessary victims."

"Necessary for what?" Aang asked incredulously. "What could possibly need this?"

"You." A foot collided with the side of Aang's head, and he dropped to the ground. His vision blurred as a headache erupted. Rolling, Aang bent air to right himself, and was immediately met with the feel of cold metal sliding around his neck. There was a faint "chink", and Aang felt the neck-brace lock around his neck. He turned to find another black-clad man standing behind him. Aang bent air and leapt back. Instead of flying through the air like planned, however, he stumbled and fell hard on his backside. The man laughed voraciously.

Pushing himself up with his staff, Aang threw his hand out, bending fire. Nothing happened. Desperately he tried again. Nothing, not even a spark. _What the hell? _Aang cried in his mind.

The man stepped forward, his eyes smiling behind his mask. As he reached out to grab Aang, a boomerang struck him in the side of the head. He collapsed to the ground with a groan. Aang followed the course of the boomerang as it doubled back. Sokka snatched it out of the air as he ran, waving a hand over his head.

"Hey! Aang!" Sokka called. Behind him Aang saw Suki following, tangling with a firebender hot on her trail. "Nice to see you!"

"Sokka! You're alive!" Aang waved as Sokka approached, then pointed at his neck. "My bending, something's wr-"

"Duck!" Sokka grabbed Aang's arm and pulled him down. Fire flew over his head. Cursing, Sokka launched his boomerang in the direction of the firebender Aang hand attempted to interrogate. There were two there now, the second probably having been the one to kick Aang. The boomerang was dodged easily. Sokka drew his sword as he plucked the boomerang out of the air and sheathed it.

Aang tugged at the metal around his neck. It was fastened on tight. Running his fingers along its length, he found the latch, but no means of releasing it. He pulled uselessly. Without his bending he felt defenseless.

He glanced up to see Sokka dodge one shot of fire, only to be struck by a second. He turned, and saw Suki dancing dangerously with the pursuing firebender. Anger welled up inside Aang, alongside fear for his friends. He could feel the avatar state coming on. He let it, felt the power surge up through him...

And release in an explosion of sound so loud that the remaining rafters rattled. Aang was thrown off his feet, landing roughly on the ground. Pain wracked his body, extending rapidly from the metal choker. It burned hot, branding his neck. Aang screamed. The pain overwhelmed him, tore at the vestiges of his sanity, and all went black.

* * *

_Snap. Poor Aang. Review if you feel the urge to make me happy. Or visit my dA account for original stuffs (in my FFN profile - hooray for shameless advertising!) Or, you know, you could just leave. That's okay too... ;~;_

_(March 23, 2011 Edit #2: Oh yes, just soz y'all know, I fixed the scene transitions. Apparently FFN doesn't like the way I mark scene changes, and no one mentioned it, so... yes... It's fixed now. You know, a year after I posted the bloody thing. .)_


	5. Nightmares

_Yay, it's April 31st! It is April 31st, right? No? Well, it is for me. Curse you, calendar, for not conforming to my reality!_

_Anyway, I really should apologize for ditching this for, what, a year? I've got a large hunk of it written, so expect a new chapter every Tuesday. Anyway, I'll shut-up._

_Oh yes, a disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own Avatar. It's not really mine. Maybe we can pretend, though? Just don't tell DiMartino and Konietzko. They might not like that_.

* * *

Azula stared at the dirt road as she rode, the reins of her _agamida_ held loosely in her grasp. For such a large beast, the _agamida_ walked lightly, using it's wings to all but hover above the ground. Azula stroked its neck absentmindedly. The creature threw back its head, making a throaty purring sound.

Glancing up from the dirt, Azula eyed her other companions. Half a dozen hired men, all heavily muscled and covered in a light film of dirt. Azula held about as much trust for them as she did the weather. She had expressed in detail such feelings after striking a deal with them. Azula smiled when one of the men spared a fearful glance in her direction.

She would have used men from the Bloodsworn, but she trusted them even less. They knew the ancient rites she intended to invoke, and she couldn't keep an eye on them at all times. Azula's form shook with silent laughter. The fools had no idea what they had done, teaching Azula their secrets. And now that she was free of her brother's prison, they were discussing "her path". According to the council, she was the only one powerful enough to undertake the ritual of the BloodQueen. She would be rich with power.

Twisting her head, Azula glanced behind her. A large, wooden cage rode on wheels, pulled by another _agamida_. The Bloodsworn had supplied her with half a dozen of the lizards when she'd stopped breifly at their hideout, and she put them to good use. Over the _agamida's_ back, Azula could see Qin kneeling in the cage. The boy was pathetic - he had groveled shamelessly when Azula had bought him. It didn't matter, though. Azula wanted him for his power, not for his personality. As soon as she was done with him, she could kill him. All the more reason they make haste in getting to their destination.

Azula leapt off her _agamida_, kicking up a cloud of dust as she landed, and handed the reins to one of the nearby men. As the cage approached, she leapt up on the labouring _agamida's_ back, then up onto the roof of the cage. Her boots thudded on the wood, the cage creaking slightly under her weight. With a twirl she did a frontflip off the roof and landed behind the cage, facing her prisoners.

Qin turned, frightful eyes staring at her. Chuckling at his expression, Azula began to follow after the cage. Did the boy think she was going to hurt him? Azula smirked at the thought. It would be entertaining...

Her gaze shifted to the form lying on the floor of the cage, apparently asleep. The girl's clothes were beginning to look ragged - dirt covered much of them, and multiple tears had disfigured them quite thoroughly. Azula could see the burns she had inflicted festering on the girl's body. And yet, despite the torment Azula had put her through, the earthbending girl still held strong. Her spirit was solid. Azula swiped a hand at the cage angrily, bending fire around her fingers - and then let her arm fall. Whatever. When she was done, not even the Avatar would be able to reach the girl. She would be mad with grief. Mad with pain.

Azula drew a knife from a sheath at her belt and stepped forward. Qin backed away, pressing his lanky form against the back of the cage. Reaching into the cage, Azula grabbed Toph's ankle and dragged her toward the bars. She glanced up at Qin. The boy looked torn between his own saftey, and protecting Toph. Azula raised her knife and pointed it at him with a grin, then turned back to Toph. Instead of cutting the girl, however, Azula drew the sleeve of her shirt up. Her arm was covered in deep scars criss-crossing on the skin, remnants of past needs for blood. Placing the knife against her arm, she pressed down hard. Blood beaded at the sides of the knife as the pain shot up her arm. She pulled the knife away, placing it back within it's sheath, and pressed her now-free hand against the cut. Blood smeared onto her palm. Then she bent fire.

The fire glowed red as her blood intermingled with the flames, then turned to an emerald green, the magics activating. She could feel the spirits at work, and she called on them, drawing them into the flame. She hovered her hand over Toph's forhead, the flames burning mere inches from the girl's skin. With a sudden jerk she bent the flames across Toph's brow. They engulfed the girl's head for a moment, and then seemed to sink into her flesh. They left no traces - no burns, no scorched hair - but Toph would feel their effects. Her dreams - probably already plagued with images of her dead parents - would become insufferable nightmares.

With a teasing parting shot of fire in Qin's direction Azula walked back toward her _agamida_, chuckling happily at the thought of Toph's tormented dreams.

* * *

The first thing Aang felt when he awoke was a numbness throughout his body. He couldn't feel anything. His brain felt dull, slow; his body heavy. With a groan he opened his eyes. Light flickered faintly, illuminating the wooden floorboards in front of him. He was lying on a thin futon, his surroundings looking eerie and unrecognizable.

_What... happened?_ He tried to push himself up, but found that his body responded weakly. He only succeeded in flopping his arms to his sides.

"Oh, Sokka!" a familiar voice called. Suki's. Aang tried to call out, but all that came out was a gurgling. "Aang's awake!"

Footsteps could be heard as Sokka and Suki approached Aang's side. They dropped to their knees on either side of him. Aang struggled to roll his body so that he was on his back and could see both his friends clearly.

"Wrtsz wnng w'me?" Aang mumbled. He saw Sokka smile at his attempts to talk.

"Don't bother. We had to drug you. You were spasming wildly," Sokka said. He touched the choker around Aang's neck. "I think it has something to do with this. There was an awful bang, then you sort of..."

Aang's eyes widened, and he tried to grab at the choker, but failed. He shot Sokka a fearful look. Then a crescendo of thoughts occured to him. What had happened to the firebenders? Were they still there? Could they take the neckbrace off? Aang shut his eyes, attempting to defog his mind. He needed to think.

"I don't know how to take it off," Sokka continued, echoing Aang's thoughts. "I don't want to try and break it off. It might be bugged or something."

Aang let out a mangled sigh, shaking his head slightly. He _needed_ his bending. He couldn't imagine living without it. He had people to protect, his Avatar duties to attend to. He couldn't do that without his bending!

"We should let him rest," Suki said quietly. Aang heard the two rise. Rolling over, he attempted to get back to sleep and let the drug wear off, but even as bogged down by the medicine as he was, his mind wouldn't stop. Iroh, Toph. He needed to get to them, to make sure they were okay. He needed to find Azula, to take her back to the Fire Nation. He needed to figure out who these men in black were, to find out what they wanted. He needed his bloody bending back!

Frustrated, Aang rolled over awkwardly, and found himself staring out the open door. Moonlight bathed the village in silvery light, illuminating the scorched buildings opposite the road where Aang lay. Dust and char intermingled in the breeze. A young man passed the door, gripping a limp arm as he wandered aimlessly, his expression blank. A tear fell from Aang's eye. He had been too late, too careless. He'd let these people down.

Aang shook his head. It was those firebender's fault. Their wanton destruction, killing innocent people, destroying their lives, their homes. What had that one man meant when he said "You"? They had come with a choker, one apparently specialized for blocking his bending and supressing his Avatar state. He'd never heard of such a device existing. Where had it come from? What did the men want him? Aang could think of half a dozen reasons why someone would want him dead - none of them justified - but captured? And powerless? Did they hope to torture him into doing their bidding? Questions filled Aang's drugged mind, and none of them had even the remotest of answers. But one floated to the fore of his brain, the most important to him at that moment. How would he get the choker off?

Sleep eventually took him, the calm sound of the breeze lulling him into an uneasy rest.

* * *

_Sorry this one is so short. I didn't do it intentionally, I swear!_

_Anyhow. I'm off to finish this java program, write an English essay, and then study for a calculus midterm. Or put on Dragonball Z music and forget about it. Whichever comes first. :D _


	6. The Morning After

_Here, have this. :D_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I don't know why I don't, I just don't. And I'm not making profit off this. So there._

* * *

Aang sat quietly on the wooden steps, staring out over a trodden village. People slogged through the streets, some lost in their grief, others working for some semblance of order. Aang knew that his duties as the Avatar demanded that he help these people out, but his body still felt weakened by the drugs. He was afraid that if he stood, he'd fall flat on his face. It had taken an effort just to drag himself to the stairs.

Still, just the sight of Aang seemed to lift some spirits. Aang tried his best not to let his own thoughts reflect on his expression. People passed him, and hope spurred up in them, a sense of purpose springing up in their step. If he looked as hopeless and defeated as he felt at that moment...

Casually Aang grazed his fingers against the cold metal that wrapped his neck in an embrace. No idea had yet come to him on how to remove the device. After the reaction it had had when the Avatar state had emerged, Aang didn't want to imagine what would happen if he attempted to remove the collar forcibly. The image of a very slow, very painful death sprung to his mind, and he shivered. He would have to try and find someone who could remove the device. Someone who belonged to whatever group of people these men in black formed. If there was enough order to call it a group. They certainly seemed chaotic.

Added to the hopelessness was a measure of shame. Nowhere in the legends of the Avatars had there been any mention of an Avatar losing their powers. Indeed, that stripped an Avatar of everything he was. Without them, Aang was just another man - not one equipped to keep the world in balance, or protect the innocent. Sure, he had his skills in diplomacy and peace keeping, but they weren't extraordinary. Deep in his heart he felt he had failed his ancestors, made a mockery of their name. Imagine, an Avatar that couldn't bend. Aang snorted.

The creaking of wood behind him alerted Aang to another presence. Turning, he saw Sokka standing over him, holding a small tray. He set the tray down beside Aang and sat down on its other side.

"So..." Sokka said, grabbing one of the two bowls on the tray. They both contained even portions of plain oatmeal. Small portions. The storehouses had probably been destroyed - he guessed in tight times even Sokka could rein in his appetite.

"So..." Aang repeated. He grabbed the other bowl, but instead of eating simply turned his spoon over in the oatmeal. He didn't feel hungry.

Sokka swallowed his mouthful, jabbing his spoon at Aang's neck. "The collar. It stops your bending? Completely?"

Aang nodded. "I can't even stir up a breeze." Rather than focus on what he already knew, Aang decided to tackle a different subject. "Sokka, what happened yesterday?"

"When? Before you arrived or... after you exploded?" Sokka asked, not bothering to clear his mouth this time.

"Both."

"Well," Sokka pondered a moment. "Those firebending guys just sort of showed up and started torching the place. Only eight of them or so. They came on these really freaky lizard things. They didn't really tell us why they came."

"Me..." Aang interrupted. Sokka gave him a confused look. "When I tried to question one of them, they said they were here to capture me. Then they slapped this collar around my neck. They were prepared..."

"Oh, right," mused Sokka. "That would make sense. Well, not really, but it gives us something, right?" Sokka attempted to look hopeful. "Anyway, after you showed up and got collared, you sort of... went bang. It was loud. Like, _really_ loud. It stunned everyone in the vicinity. Probably saved my life. Thanks for that, by the way. You collapsed and started seizuring on the ground. Suki grabbed some kind of relaxing drug, and you stopped."

"What about the firebenders? Did you capture any?" Aang asked. He doubted it, if the firebender he'd encountered the morning before was any indication.

"No. I took out the two that attacked us after the bang - I recovered faster than they did. And Suki took one out. You had two of them trapped in the earth. They're still there, by the way, but they're dead. And the others... well..."

Aang glanced up at Sokka's pause. It wasn't often that Sokka trailed off like that - when he did, you knew it was something important. "What happened?" Aang asked.

"Well, a couple of the others were killed by the other Kyoshi warriors. But Ty Lee had suppressed one, and was asking him why they were here. She says he sort of started foaming at the mouth, then died." Sokka shook his head. "It's kind of freaky."

Sighing, Aang recounted his own encounter the morning before. Sokka took it in silently, nodding slowly. When Aang was finished, he let out a low whistle. "Well," he said. "They're definitely related. Aang, somebody wants you, and they want you bad."

"Uhh..." Sokka's sentence sent Aang's mind straight to the gutter. Blushing, he shook his head vigorously. This was serious! He would never get used to this puberty thing. "Yeah. That's what I'm afraid of."

Suddenly Aang remembered he hadn't told Sokka the reason he had come out to Kyoshi Island to begin with. "Azula!" he exclaimed.

Sokka looked at him as though he had lost a marble or two. "Uhh, no Aang. Azula's in the Fire Nation dungeons, remember?"

"No, she isn't," Aang explained. "That's why I came here. Azula escaped. About a week ago. We were worried about everyone, so I came out here to make sure Azula hadn't come and attacked you or something."

"I haven't seen her," Sokka said. "Are the others okay?"

"Katara is. I saw her yesterday morning. I was planning on heading out to Ba Sing Se next to make sure Iroh was alright. And Toph..." Aang frowned. Come to think of it, he didn't know where Toph was.

Sokka's face seemed to fall at the mention of the earthbender's name. Jumping to his feet, he raced into the house. Aang followed him with his gaze. A moment later Sokka returned and dropped a bracelet in Aang's hands. The bracelet Toph had made from the remaining meteor rock.

Aang turned the bracelet over in his hands before looking up at Sokka. He was staring reminiscently at the ground. "Why do you have this?" Aang asked slowly.

"Toph stopped by here on her way to her parents," Sokka replied. "That's where she should be now. I sort of made a remark about her parents that she didn't take right. We ended up getting in a pretty bad argument. Then she threw that at me and stormed off. Nearly took off my head, it did." He sighed. "Take that with you and give it to her when you see her. And tell her I'm sorry?"

"Yeah..." Aang said. He slipped the bracelet into a pocket in his pants.

"Now," Sokka said, his mood visibly lifting. "About that collar. If Azula's escaped, and these men showed up and started attacking the village, you think maybe they're related? Nothing like this," Sokka motioned at the scorched houses and buildings around them, "hasn't happened since Ozai fell. It can't be a coincidence."

"Maybe. I was thinking about it myself," Aang replied. "I don't know if she would have had any time to organize anything after she escaped. Not like this."

"This wasn't really organized," Sokka replied. "A dozen firebenders burning things to try to get to you. Also, how would they have known you would be here. Azula might have guessed that you would have stopped by as soon as you heard she was gone, but that might be too farfetched."

Aang nodded. The two events did seem to be connected somehow. "I wonder then..." Aang said thoughtfully. He rose from the stairs - and nearly did a header into the dirt. Sokka grabbed him, steadying him with an arm.

"What?" Sokka asked curiously.

Aang began to walk back into the house, leaning on Sokka to stay balanced. "I need to send a letter to Zuko. He should know about my new... predicament," Aang explained. "He would want to hear about it. And he has people out looking for Azula, and gathering as much information as possible. Maybe one of them will stumble upon something helpful."

"It's worth a try," Sokka admitted. "I'll grab some paper, and Hawky. Just... sit tight." He lowered Aang down onto one of the nearby chairs at the table and disappeared down a hall. Aang sighed. The effort that it had taken to walk that short distance was unnerving.

Rather than Sokka reappearing around the corner, it was Suki that greeted him, a small smile on her face. She was wearing her Kyoshi warrior clothes, though her face paint and headdress was absent.

"Morning, Aang," she said warmly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like my legs are made of mud," Aang replied honestly. He flicked his choker with a finger. "And not overly amused."

"I wish I could help," Suki shrugged. She patted Aang's shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure Sokka will think of something."

The man in question returned from the depths of the house bearing a roll of parchment, a brush and inkwell, and a sleeping messenger hawk. He placed all but the latter on the table in front of Aang.

"Okay. Here you go. I'll be back in a few," Sokka said quickly, rushing back down the hall he had just emerged from. Aang and Suki both watched him go with curious looks.

Deciding that he'd discover Sokka's intentions later, Aang turned to the parchment. Dipping the brush in ink, he began to write out a hasty letter to Zuko:

_Zuko_

_I'm writing from Kyoshi Island. The island was attacked by a number of men clad in all black. One said that they were here for me. I was also attacked on the way to Kyoshi Island by another man in black, riding some sort of lizard beast. While on Kyoshi they put a metal collar thing on me that suppresses both my bending and my Avatar state. Want to let you know in case one of your people find something. Sokka thinks the men might be related to Azula._

_(Suki placed Aang's bowl of oatmeal on the table beside him. He thanked her before continuing:)_

_Katara is fine and well protected. I'm heading for Ba Sing Se as soon as possible. Maybe your uncle knows something about this. Will write from there._

_Good Luck_

_Aang_

Aang scribbled his signature to prove that the letter was indeed from him before setting the brush down. Frowning, he quickly reread what he had written, then blew hard on it, forcing the ink dry. It would still smear a little when he rolled it up, but hopefully it would be legible.

Rolling the parchment, he tied it to Hawky's leg. The messenger hawk woke with a squawk, then stared at Aang expectantly. "Er... Take it to Zuko. The Fire Lord." The hawk took off from the table, soaring gracefully out the door and into the morning sun.

Aang picked up his bowl of oatmeal and began to munch on it while waiting for Sokka to return. Suki joined him with her own bowl, eating in silence. It was good oatmeal - not overly special, but well made. He was just scraping the bottom of the bowl with his spoon when Sokka returned, lugging a sword behind him.

"What's that for?" Aang asked curiously. Sokka approached him and handed the sword over. Taking it hesitantly, Aang nearly fell out of the chair from it's weight.

"For you. Since you don't have your bending, you need a way to defend yourself, right?" Sokka beamed. "You'll get the hang of it quickly."

"Uhh..." Aang was struggled just to keep the sword above the ground. His reply came in a strained voice, "Thanks, but... I think my staff will do."

Suki burst into laughter from her spot across the table. Aang finally let the sword drop to the ground. "What?" both he and Sokka said simultaneously.

"I... just..." she shook her head, hiding her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook with silent mirth.

Shrugging, Sokka turned back to Aang. "I'm coming with you then. We should go now. Iroh might know something about that collar."

Aang stood, leaning on the table for support. "Thanks, but your place is here. These people need you to help rebuild."

"But I'm not-"

"He's right, Sokka," Suki interjected, her voice still edged with her laughter. "The old mayor is a great leader, but we'll need someone like you to help get things back on track. Plus, if they come back..." That thought sapped the mirth out of her.

"Oh..." Sokka sighed. "But... Aang can't travel on his own. Not if people are after him. And... oh!" For the fourth time, Sokka disappeared, this time out the front door. Aang turned to Suki for a hint as to what Sokka had planned this time.

Instead of the confused reply he expected, Suki was grinning. "Ty Lee," she said simply.

"Ty Lee?" Aang parroted. Sure enough, a few minutes later Sokka returned with the bubbly girl in tow. She was wearing a slim, pink outfit that allowed her to move with ease.

"Oh, hi, Aang!" Ty Lee said, running across the room. She grabbed Aang, pulling him into a tight hug. "It's so good to see you again. Sokka told me everything."

"Ugn!" Aang grunted as the wind was pushed out of him. "Good to see you too, Ty Lee." The girl let go and backed away, standing beside Sokka expectantly.

Aang rose to his feet, using the table as a support. "I suppose we should go as soon as possible, then," he said. He stumbled over to where his staff leaned against the wall and used it as a walking stick. "I want to get to Iroh by tomorrow. Even if he doesn't know anything about this choker, he should know what to do."

"Assuming he's still alive," Sokka pointed out. Suki, who had left the table to stand on Sokka's other side, smacked his arm with her hand. "What?" he said incredulously.

Aang hugged them both, thanking them for their hospitality and wishing them luck with the rebuilding. He expressed his regret that he couldn't help, but both of them waved it off. With a last goodbye he exited the house, Ty Lee walking beside him. Appa was already just outside the house, waiting patiently for Aang. The Sky Bison moaned happily at the sight of Aang, nuzzling him gently in the shoulder.

With a little help from Ty Lee, Aang climbed onto Appa's head. He waited for his friend to settle in the saddle, and then sent Appa into the air. They rose high above the smouldering ruins of Kyoshi Island. With a sigh, Aang turned his attention forward, toward Ba Sing Se. His trip had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

Toph drew her sword, facing the giant Canyon Crawler before her. She could see the beast with her feet as though it were made of stone, watch as it felt the air with its tongue. She held a solid stance, waiting for her enemy to attack. It stared at her, growling hungrily.

It shifted forward, bringing a large claw down atop Toph. Toph raised her sword and sliced through the thick claw as she leaped high into the air. With a cry she brought her sword down, and felt it tear through the Crawler's thick carapace. She slid down its side, letting her sword slice cleanly through one of the Crawler's many hearts. The cliff walls shook as it screeched in pain.

As she landed she saw the crawler begin to morph. It shimmered and distorted as it swelled into something larger, more menacing. As it grew, its wounds closed, and it let out a terrible roar. Toph swung her sword at its leg, but the cut disappeared before her sword even finished its arc.

Toph bent the earth, pulling herself back to a safe distance. Then she shifted her body forward, against the ground. A gigantic slab of earth rose into the air, floating dangerously above the new creature's head. It roared at the sight, but before it could move Toph let the slab fall. It shattered over the beasts' head. With a piercing cry it evaporated into the air, leaving behind only its stench.

Smiling, Toph sheathed her sword and stood proudly. Suddenly people cheered all aroud her, calling out her name, praising her almighty powers. She revelled in their worship, punching the air for show. She was the best - a mightiest warrior and earthbender around. She could do anything. Defeat anything. She-

Suddenly everything stopped. She was surrounded by dust, remnants of the glory that had been all around her a moment ago. Then the dust changed, dropping heavily to the ground. It soaked Toph. Blood. Memories of her past leapt to her mind. She was dreaming. A nightmare. She had to get out.

Death swallowed her in an instant, and she was floating in emptiness. Nothing surrounded her. She was alone. Then not. Flies orbited her, hundreds of them. Their buzzing filled her head. She screamed, and felt them approach. As they landed on her skin, they morphed, changing into spiders. Legs tore through her flesh as they crawled along her body. Claws. Pain, oh the pain. She-

Hot sunlight welcomed Toph as she sat up with a cry of fear. Once again a cold sweat drenched her clothes, and she was shaking uncontrollably. With a deep sigh she felt the memories of the nightmare begin to fade from her mind. Sucking in air, tears began to fall down her cheeks. Her body ached from the shaking, and the fresh burn on her arm throbbed painfully. Thoughts of her parents filled her mind to replace those of the nightmare. _Oh, god,_ Toph moaned in her mind. She had to fight herself from letting the tears turn into sobs. There was only so much she could take.

Reminding herself that she had to be strong, that her parents could still be alive - a small hope, but hope nonetheless - Toph wiped her eyes and straightened. She felt Qin looming over her, his hand resting lightly on her knee. She gave her head a shake to clear it, then smiled where she thought he was kneeling. She had to keep it together, for both their sakes. She couldn't let Azula get to her.

"Morning," Toph said as casually as she could. Despite the warm air, she rubbed her bare arms with her hands. They felt cold. Her head, on the other hand, was hot - too much so. She desperately hoped she wasn't coming down with a fever.

"Are you okay?" Qin's quavering voice asked. His hand slid from her knee, and she heard him lean back against the cage bars. "I..."

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" As though that wasn't obvious. She would have been worried stiff had someone woken up the way she had.

Qin was silent for a moment. "Azula..." he mumbled, then, in a whisper, "she did something to you. With firebending, I think. You started to twitch in your dream, so I tried to wake you up. It was... hard."

Toph frowned. "Did something?" she asked curiously. With firebending? That was more vague than some of Iroh's advice.

"Yeah. She cut herself, and then her fire turned all green. It was really weird," Qin recounted.

_That didn't help much,_ Toph thought with a mental sigh. Aloud she said, "Green, eh? What's the difference?" She shot Qin a teasing smile.

"Uh-huh. Funny." Qin didn't sound overly amused. Toph's smile disappeared - it hadn't been a real smile anyway. With a groan, Toph began to stretch her limbs, working out the kinks and trying to help take some of the ache away.

As she stretched, her hand ran along her arm. The feel of her bracelet was still imprinted on her wrist - a constant reminder that she could be free had she only kept the moon-rock with her. Toph pressed a palm against her forehead, feeling another headache coming on. The memory of her fight with Sokka ran clear in her mind.

_"Right." Sokka said, his voice sounding annoyingly sarcastic. Toph felt her fist clench, fighting back the urge to deck her friend. "Your parents are just going to welcome you back with open arms, all giddy to see you again."_

_"I didn't say that!" Toph snapped, her voice rising. Sokka was really starting to get on her nerves. She had stopped by to visit him on her way to her parents so that she could get some friendly support, not discouragement and criticism._

_She heard Sokka shift his weight on the creaky floorboards. "Think about it, Toph," he said almost scornfully. "The last time you saw your parents they were overbearing and pissy. And your dad sent those people after you. Who locked you in a _metal cage_. I just don't think you should go alone."_

_"I'll be fine," Toph retorted, crossing her arms. "I can take care of myself. This is something I have to do alone, Sokka."_

_"I don't see why you have to do this at all."_

_Toph snorted. "So you would just have me forget I have parents at all?"_

_"Why not? They were horrible parents anyway."_

_"Screw you!" In a flare of anger, Toph bent her bracelet off her hand and sent it flying in Sokka's direction. She heard a very satisfying yelp. This was ridiculous! Was Sokka even listening to what he was saying?_

_With a huff, Toph spun on her heels and stormed out the door. Behind her, she heard Sokka shouting an apology, but she ignored him._

Toph sighed and let her back rest against the wooden bars. Now she wished she had listened to Sokka - though not for the reasons he had given. Had she not gone alone, she probably wouldn't be in the mess she was in right now. At the very least, she would still have her bracelet. She couldn't believe she had let Sokka get under her skin like that...

Oh well, it was too late to do anything about it now. She would have to apologize for lashing out at him next time she saw him - he had only been trying to help, after all. Maybe he had just had a bad day, and was-

Suddenly the cage lurched to a stop. Toph moved cautiously to the center of the cage, steeling herself for anything. What was Azula up to now? Another prisoner?

"What's going on?" Toph whispered to Qin. He didn't reply. The creaking of the cage door told Toph that someone was there.

In a sudden rush of adrenaline Toph shot forward, launching herself in the direction the creaking had come from. She felt herself fall into the air and awaited the glorious impact of the ground. Could it really be that easy? She heard Azula laugh, heard Qin shout her name.

Her shoulder slammed into something, but the lack of bending vibrations told her it wasn't earth. Groaning, Toph hastily pushed herself onto her feet. A sharp pain tore through the shoulder she had landed on, and she gasped. _Of course. I land on my hurt shoulder..._ She gripped her arm, her teeth clenched.

"We've arrived," Azula said, her laughter echoing throughout the room. Toph ran her bare feet along the hard floor beneath her and cursed. More wood. Where the hell was she?

* * *

_Phew. Well, there it is. Thanks for all the reviews (seriously, thanks!), and hopefully I'll see you again next week!_


	7. Ozai

_Here it is, all shiny and new. Enjoy. :D_

_Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, this would be original work, not Fanfiction._

* * *

The sun's warm rays refracted off the glass panes, illuminating the small study Zuko sat in. The window was open, letting in both the welcome warmth and the melodic songs of birds perched in trees outside. Flowers blew in the wind, dancing intimately with the buzzing bees that pollinated his garden. The fountain trickled idly, its droplets flashing rainbows over the lush green grass. Zuko smiled fondly, memories of his childhood playing through his head as he watched the calm summer scene before him.

He let out a sigh and turned away from the window, returning his thoughts to the papers before him. Annual reports he needed to sign, request for audiences. The last thing Zuko needed right then was work, but he knew it had to be done. Running a country was no job for a slacker. But still... his gaze was pulled back to the scene outside. Why waste such a beautiful day?

Deciding that the country could wait just one hour, Zuko rose from his desk and strode to the door, his Fire Lord robes dragging along behind him. The outfit really was not built for maneurverability. He exited the study and walked the short way to the doors that led to the garden courtyard. He had chosen that room specifically for his study for a reason. He always liked to be near the garden.

Once he was out on the beautiful green grass, Zuko sighed plesantly. The sun's rays hugged him, siphoning all his worry away. He needed this - a moment to relax. To let his thoughts slide and just... be.

The past week and a half had been torture to him. With his sister wreaking whatever havoc on the world, and Aang off making sure their friends were okay, Zuko felt caged in. He wanted to help, to go with Aang and track Azula down himself, but he couldn't. He had sent people out to attempt to find any information on her that they could, but none of them had heard hide's whisper of her. She seemed to have disappeared completely, and it frustrated Zuko to no end. He knew Azula was doing anything but lieing low, but he couldn't do a thing about it.

Bending over a patch of lillies, he stroked the petal of one, bringing his nose down to inhale it's sweet fragrance. Lillies had been his mother's favourite flower. Many a summer afternoon she had spent simply tending to the lillies of the garden.

Thoughts of his mother brought Zuko to ponder his second frustration. Since claiming the Fire Nation and imprisoning his father, he had tried desperately to get his mother's location out of him. Ozai was stubbornly silent on the matter. He seemed to revel in Zuko's distraut state concerning Ursa. All Zuko could hope for was that his mother had heard of his succession, and was making her slow way to him. He refused to torture Ozai into giving him the information. That would give Ozai the pleasure of knowing Zuko was no better than he.

Sighing, Zuko straightened. A small bird fluttered down to the fountain, landing delicately on it's stone bowl. It chirped happily at Zuko, whom smiled faintly. Sometimes he wished he could be as carefree as a bird, worrying only about where he would get his next meal. He touched the pendant at his neck, the small Air Nomad necklace Aang had given him a year before, so that the memory of his people would live on. There was always a balance, the joy to offset the frustration. In the end, he supposed, he wouldn't give up his life to fly free like a bird.

"Fire Lord, sir." The voice startled Zuko out of his thoughts, and he turned to find a servant kneeling at the edge of the garden. The grasped a piece of rolled paper in his hand.

"Yes?" Zuko asked. When the man didn't move, Zuko sighed, ordering him to stand. Honestly, some of the servants took their deference a little too far. Another byproduct of Ozai's rule, Zuko knew. He had thought to replace them after he was crowned, but decided against it. They would probably end up killing themselves in shame.

The servant rose and held out the letter, a slight tremble in his hand. "This came for you moments before, Your Majesty. I was told to give it to you as soon as possible. It is from the Avatar."

Zuko took the letter from the man, dismissing him with a thank-you. The man all but scurried out of the courtyard, but Zuko hardly noticed. His attention was on the paper. Slowly, with slightly tremling hands of his own, he unrolled the parchment. Inside he found a slightly smeared letter in Aang's recognizable hand. Quickly he read through the letter, then again more slowly. An attack on Kyoshi? And a choker that inhibited his bending abilities? Zuko shook his head.

Sokka was right, of course. Those events were too close in line with Azula's escape. He didn't think there was a coincidence. Only he and Aang knew he would be on Kyoshi - and whoever Aang mentioned it to in the Southern Water City, but nothing could have outflown Appa to Kyoshi, especially with time enough to launch an assault.

But a collar that supressed Aang's powers? Even his Avatar state? Zuko couldn't imagine such a device existing. He wished his uncle was there to tell him what to make of the situation. Iroh was closer to Aang though, and Aang needed him more that Zuko did. Hopefully the old man could give Aang something to work with. Aang's inability to bend brought on worse problems than just his current quest. The world needed the Avatar.

There was one other person that knew that much about the world, and might have heard about such a collar. Zuko felt torn about the idea of approaching his father with such a question - he didn't want Ozai to get the satisfation that would come with learning that the Avatar was powerless. Plus, Zuko conceeded, the chances Ozai would help him were slim. But if there was even the slimmest of chances, the possibility that Ozai might reveal something in his joy over the news... After a moment's deciding, Zuko figured it was worth a shot.

* * *

The dungeon was cold and damp, purposefully kept so to discourage firebending. Zuko walked down the halls, his robes trailing in the slight film of dirt that covered the floors. He ignored the stench, and the moaning pleas for mercy. He had been down here dozens of times, and this was no different than any other. He hoped that perhaps this trip would end differently, however.

The cell where he had imprisoned his father was located deep within the complex. Many of the guards saluted him as he passed, and some went as far as kneeling formally. Zuko briefly nodded in recognition to each of them, passing quickly. In his hand he still held Aang's letter, and he stode with purpose. He might not be able to help Aang or the others on the field, but if he could only get something out of his father...

Approaching Ozai's cell, Zuko nodded silently to the guard. The guard pulled a key from his brestplate and opened the door wide, allowing Zuko entrance. The inside of the cell was bland - a small table sat to one side, and half the room was blocked by the bars that held the prisoner. It was no different than the cell that had held his uncle over a year ago. Except for one key detail.

Rather than his uncle's disappointed form, it was Ozai that sat in the cell, his body weak and hunched. Skin hung from his bones, and his face looked hollow, beaten. The man was a shell of his former self. Even after all his father had done to him, Zuko felt pity for Ozai.

Ozai lifted his face to meet Zuko's gaze, his eyes glaring scornfully. "What do you want, boy?" he asked in a wheezy voice. Zuko frowned. He knew his father had skipped meals, was purposefully wasting himself away. It suprised Zuko, in a way. He'd thought that his father would have taken imprisonment with an unbeatable self-pride. Dieing would be, in Ozai's mind, giving in to Zuko.

"I have a question for you," Zuko said, not able to keep all of the scorn out of his own voice. Pity his father or not, he held no respect for the man.

Ozai snorted. "I told you, I won't give you the satisfaction of a happy reunion," he spat. He turned his gaze away from Zuko as though dismissing him.

Sighing, Zuko motioned to the letter in his hand. "Aang... The Avatar just sent me this letter," he said. He really didn't know what the best way to tackle this was. "Azula escaped about a week ago, and now the Avatar has a collar around his neck. It disables his ability to bend."

Grunting, Ozai twisted his body, looking back at Zuko. His face was completly blank. Zuko frowned - he would have thought his father would be all but estatic.

"The collar..." Ozai mumbled. "Does it supress... his Avatar state as well?"

Zuko blinked. "Yes."

Ozai leaned forward. "Listen closely, boy, because I'm only going to tell you this once."

Surprised that he had gotten something from his father without even a little persuasion, Zuko leaned forward so that he could hear Ozai's words clearly.

"There is a group of people in this world that I hate even more than you and your _friends_," he said the word with disgust. "They are known as the Bloodsworn. As secretive as they are, I don't know much about them. They work using some sort of combination of Firebending and bloodletting. I-"

"Bloodletting?" Zuko interjected, the word leaving a bad taste in his mouth. He had never heard of such a thing before, but it didn't sound at all pleasant.

"Don't interupt me, boy, or I might change my mind about telling you this," Ozai snapped. Zuko nodded, and the former Fire Lord continued, "I had heard that they had created some sort of device that would stop the Avatar in his tracks. I'd been... skeptical. This collar though, it might be the same thing."

"The Bloodsworn..." Zuko said to himself. He glanced at the letter again.

"I should have wiped out that pathetic cult when I had the chance. I feared Azula might have become involved with them." Ozai looked Zuko straight in the eye, demanding his full attention with his gaze. "Destroy them. All of them."

The energy appeared to go out of him then. He slumped on the floor, his breathing growing methodic.

"Thank-you," Zuko said quietly before rising. He left the cell quickly, gripping Aang's letter in a tight fist. He had to get this information to Aang.

* * *

_I have to apologize for this one being so short. I ended up deleting a scene that was tacked on at the end. The next one is bigger, I promise!_


	8. The Bloodsworn

_Made it with fourty-five minutes to spare! Hurrah!_

_Disclaimer: There is no cow level. Also, I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I think the lack of cows is a more important worry here._

* * *

The Jasmine Dragon was bustling with people. Crowds congealed at the doorway, spilling into the courtyard as they awaited entry to the tea shop. Aang adjusted his hat, looking up at the large building before them. He had never seen such a mass of people at one shop before. He was glad that they'd left Appa at the Earth Palace's stables. It was chaos!

Apologizing profusely, Aang began to cut through the crowd, making a beeline toward the doors. He grabbed Ty Lee's hand, pulling her through with him. People protested his intrusion, but he fought forward, and a moment later found himself inside the doors of Iroh's "small retirement business".

For a tea shop, the inside of the Jasmine Dragon was excessively loud. People chatted away, the tables crammed with happy tea enthusiasts. The smell of dozens of herbal teas intermingled, creating a heavy perfume in the air. Aang's nose twitched as he scanned the room, looking for the owner.

Waiters and waitresses shot it all directions, taking orders and delivering tea. They looked flustered, balancing half a dozen trays on their arms and hurrying to keep up with the stream of people waiting to be served. It was all Aang could do to not get trampled in the madness. He drew his straw hat further down his head, hoping no one recognized him. He'd never leave then, not with a crowd like this.

"Sir, if I could just ask you to take a place in line," a passing waiter said, grabbing Aang by the sleeve. He pointed toward a rather haphazard line trailing along one side of the shop's interior.

Aang held up his hands, shaking his head politely. "We're not customers," he quickly explained to the man. "We're looking for the owner of the shop. Would you happen to know where Iroh is?"

"He should be in the back," the waiter replied, his voice growing impatient. "I may be able to bring him out if you wish to speak with him, but please, take a spot in line."

Aang hated pulling the "I'm the Avatar" shtick, but he saw no other choice. They didn't have time to wait in line for hours. Leaning in close to the waiter, he whispered, "I'm really sorry, but I need to speak with him as soon as possible." He pulled the glove he had been using to hide the tattoos on his hand off, revealing the blue arrow plastered onto his skin.

The waiter's eyes widened, and his jaw slackened slightly. "O-oh. I see. Yes, f-follow me..." he stuttered as Aang slipped the glove back on. The man lead the way through the tea shop and through double doors at the back.

The kitchens were nearly as chaotic as the crowds outside. Brewers dodged around each other, bearing steaming pots of tea or handfuls of herbs. Despite the confusion, Aang spotted Iroh immediately. He stood at a large wooden table, overseeing the steeping of a half dozen pots of tea. His grey hair and commanding stature was unmistakable among the discord.

Aang thanked the waiter and moved into the kitchen, lithely weaving his way toward Iroh. As Aang approached, Iroh began skillfully pulling lids from pots and extracting the small devices used to hold the crushed herbs. He placed them on a small linen cloth to the side, still dripping and steaming with tea.

"Ah, welcome, Aang, Ty Lee," Iroh said with a smile, not once looking up from his work. "I have not seen either of you in quite a while."

"Some tea shop you've got here," Ty Lee noted. "Half of Ba Sing Se must be here!"

Iroh shrugged as he placed the last device on the cloth. He turned to a passing brewer, giving her a couple quick orders and pointing to the pots. He then turned back to Ty Lee with a grin. "After leading a warfaring army, this is rather calming, don't you think?"

Ty Lee chuckled, and they were led out the back of the kitchen and into a small network of hallways. It ended in a small sitting room, lavishly furnished for comfort and relaxation. A number of books littered a small coffee table beside a oushioned chair, and a couple paintings hung from the walls - including, Aang saw with amusement, the painting Sokka had drawn the last time Team Avatar had been together, only days after Ozai's fall.

The old general sighed as he lowered himself onto a large cushion on the floor. For the first time since Aang met him, he appeared old, worn. The muscles he had gained in the Fire Nation's prison cell had weakened, and his stomach had grown back. Even so, he appeared content.

Pouring himself a cup of fragrant tea from a pot he'd carried from the kitchens, Iroh breathed the fumes deeply before turning his attention back to Aang. "So, you would disturb an old tea shop manager?" he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Aang didn't hesitate to put forth his problem. Pulling the collar of his jacket down, he exposed the metal beneath and rapped it with a finger. It made a dull _clink_. Iroh's eyebrow rose with curiosity.

"Oh... that is some very nice metal. Where did you come by this?" he asked, leaning forward. Aang took a seat across from him, and the older man reached out to stroke the metal's smooth surface. "Very nice indeed. Pure silver, unless I'm mistaken. And highly refined."

"It..." Even now Aang found it hard to say aloud the band's function. "It takes away my bending. And my Avatar powers."

Iroh's eyes suddenly grew very hard. Slowly he sat back, and his eyes closed, white eyebrows drooping down his face. "Ill news..." he said, and his wise voice held a hint of... fear? Aang felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Can you..." Aang hesitated.

"Can I?" Iroh's eyes opened. "Remove it? No, I fear. Not without doing you much harm. Magic this powerful... I sense it would kill you. Or perhaps strip the Avatar spirit of its powers completely." Aang winced. The thought of his powers being gone forever would bring misery to his heart, but if the Avatar spirit was rendered powerless, the world would be thrown into unbalance. It wouldn't be long until it ceased to exist.

"I believe, however," Iroh continued, "that I can tell you _how_ to remove it. In a sense"

Aang leaned forward, listening intently. His throat caught, and he had to force himself not to hold his breath. Iroh stared into his teacup, swirling the liquid thoughtfully. Just as Aang thought he might fall over from leaning too far, the old general began to speak.

"Sometime after the battle at Ba Sing Se, and not long before Zuko and I set out in search of you, reports of a group of an underground people trickled in through Ozai's various spy networks. At first, the suspicion was that the Avatar had been discovered, and the Earth Kingdom was preparing an army. In time, however, it became apparent that this was not the case." Iroh shook his head, and downed the rest of his tea in one gulp.

"As several months passed, very little information was gathered on this group. They surfaced rarely, and remained hidden in the shadows, pulling strings here and there. Small political movements, strategic murders. Compared to the Earth Kingdom, they posed little threat, and were quickly forgotten. Until Ozai was nearly murdered."

Ty Lee gasped from her cushion beside Aang. "Yes," Iroh continued with a nod, "an assassin came to kill Fire Lord Ozai, and was nearly successful. My brother was bedridden for a week. It is, perhaps, why he had a slight paranoia of assassins," Iroh mused thoughtfully. "Anyway, the man responsible was captured. We had determined that he belonged to this small underground group, but that was all we got before he... well..."

"Foamed at the mouth and died?" Aang asked with a frown, remembering the man he had fought back on the trip to Kyoshi Island.

Iroh nodded. "You've seen it then, have you? They appear to have a mechanism that lets them die on command. Very odd..."

"But you didn't learn anything that could remove my collar?" Aang asked, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. He desperately wanted to be free of his makeshift prison.

"Ahh," Iroh held up a finger. "In due time, young Avatar. You see, Aang, it is very difficult to acquire information on a group of people that you cannot interrogate. It took a very long time, but eventually Ozai was able to wriggle a spy into their ranks. While travelling with Zuko, I received two letters from my brother concerning this spy and the information he had gathered. The first..." Trailing off, Iroh stared into space a moment. Then he struggled to his feet with a sigh and padded out of the room. Aang and Ty Lee exchanged confused glances. A moment later, Iroh returned carrying two folded sheets of paper. They were written on fancy paper used only by lords and nobles, but they were already yellowing with age. Iroh scanned them both over for a second before handing them to Aang.

"These are the letters I was sent. It may be more helpful if you read them yourself."

Aang took the crinkled papers in his hands and rested them on his lap. They were written in the flowing form of Ozai's handwriting, a style he had grown accustomed to reading after the hours spent sifting through contact letters and reports in the Fire Nation's palace. The letters weren't particularly long, and Aang read through the first quickly:

_General Iroh_

_I am writing to inform you of the information gathered concerning the assassin's leaders. I do not wish this information to reach any eyes but yours, so burn this immediately after reading. It has been determined that the assassin was a member of a cult self-christened "The Bloodsworn". They worship a deity, though the details of their religion is unknown. The spy mentioned prophecies of a BloodQueen, and said he would report when he knew more. These cultists appear to have obtained unique power through the art of mixing firebending and an action known as bloodletting - by where the bender does harm to himself and infuses the fire with his blood. It had been documented to produce very odd effects, otherwise unattainable by or even unrelated to firebending._

_I will write when more knowledge is attained._

_Fire Lord Ozai_

Bloodletting? Aang blinked at the letter. He had felt something strange about the firebenders, had thought they were abnormally skilled. But he hadn't seen anything particularly out of the ordinary. Of course, there was his neck brace. Aang touched his neck briefly, and decided that he didn't want to know what else this cult was capable of.

He had a dozen questions about the information, and the "Bloodsworn", rolling through his mind, but instead of asking them he said, "You didn't destroy the letter like he asked you to." He passed the first letter to Ty Lee, and propped up the second for reading.

Iroh smiled, having returned to his cushion with another steaming cup of tea. "No. I am an old man, and very forgetful." There was again a twinkle in his eye.

Aang turned to the second letter and read:

_General Iroh_

_The following information is considered classified and is to be destroyed immediately. The spy is either dead or defected into the ranks of the Bloodsworn. I have received one additional piece of information since our last contact. The Bloodsworn appear to be working on an important project. What it is I do not know. I will attempt to extract more information through other means and contact you when needed._

_Fire Lord Ozai_

Aang passed the second letter to Ty Lee and rubbed his temples. His brain tried to connect pieces, to put together a bigger picture, but there was nothing to connect. It was like doing a jigsaw, but half the pieces were missing and the other half came from different puzzles. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Ozai was never able to get another spy into the Bloodsworn's ranks," Iroh muttered, answering one of the question Aang had swirling in his head. "The Bloodsworn had relocated, their new whereabouts never found."

"The old Fire Lord sure has dry writing," Ty Lee noted as she passed the letters to Iroh. The elderly general pocketed the letters and took a thoughtful sip of his tea.

"My brother was a very dry man," he chuckled.

"But what does it all mean?" Ty Lee asked. "There's got to be something happening. These Bloodsworn wouldn't attack a village without reason, right? It kind of kills their cover."

Aang nodded. "Let's lay out what we know so far," he said. He wanted to clear his head, get all his thoughts on the table and out of his over-clogged mind. "One: The Bloodsworn are a cult with some unknown religion." He counted the points on his fingers. "Two: This religion, or something related, prophesizes something called the BloodQueen. Though we have no idea what that means. Three: They have some odd form of bending using blood that allows them to do things that we've never seen before. We should probably expect anything. Four: They attempted to assassinate Ozai, meaning the death of the Fire Lord, and presumably the collapse of the Fire Nation, was in their favour. Five: They had some sort of super secret project they were working on. Six: They attacked me, and Kyoshi Island, meaning they're making some sort of move. And seven: Azula escaped the Fire Nation right before the attacks began."

"And eight," Iroh added, pointing at Aang's collar, "they have a device capable of sealing the Avatar's power."

"Right," Aang agreed. "Which means..."

"That we have more questions than we do answers?" Ty Lee asked, frowning as she swirled her cup of tea around in her hands.

Iroh nodded. "And that those answers we do have are more speculation than answers."

Aang sighed, suddenly very frustrated at his inability. This was the sort of danger the Avatar was reincarnated to tackle. Bloodletting, attacks on innocent people. He should be helping, but he was wholly and completely _useless_.

"I think," Iroh said after a long stretch of thoughtful silence, "that if we can track down one of these Bloodsworn, one that isn't completely loyal to his cult, he may be able to tell us how to remove the collar."

"Can we reason with Azula?" Ty Lee quipped, glancing between Iroh and Aang. "If she's joined this cult thing, she'll know how to get it off. And I might be able to talk to her... She's my friend. Or was..." A sadness washed over Ty Lee. It was an emotion so uncharacteristic of Ty Lee that it made Aang worry.

"That is a possibility," Iroh replied, but Aang could hear the doubt in his voice. They both knew that the chances of reaching Azula were slim. Her insanity had only seemed to grow over the past few years in captivity.

With a groan Iroh got up, his movements bespeaking the pains set upon the elderly. "Well," he groaned as he cracked his back. "This old man needs his beauty sleep. You're both welcome to use the guest chamber." Iroh bowed slightly, then disappeared out the small sitting room door, his shuffling footsteps fading through the hall.

Aang and Ty Lee made their lethargic way into the guest chambers, where two large, coushioned beds awaited them. Aang suddenly felt the weariness he'd been holding back since he left Kyoshi Island settle in, and it was all he could do not to flop on the bed and crash. A large washbasin occupied one corner of the room, and he used it to clean his hands and face, refreshing himself. He wished he could have a bath and wash all the dirt away, but he settled for the cold, clean water. Behind the changing barrier, he quickly changed into the silk nightrobes left out for guests, and gave a sigh of relief as he walked over to the soft bed. It was one of the most comfortable mattresses Aang had lain on. It felt as though he was sinking in a large pile of feathers as he pulled himself up on the bed.

As he moved to lay down and get some sleep, he noticed Ty Lee across the room, sitting on the end of her bed. She was staring at the floor, a distant look in her eyes. Aang could see them glisten with wetness.

"Ty Lee?" Aang said softly, leaning forward to try and catch her gaze. "Are you... alright?"

Ty Lee jumped slightly, looking up at Aang with large eyes. "Oh...!" She said, as though just remembering someone else was in the room, and quickly wiped a stray tear off her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, you know?"

"Is it about Azula?" Aang guessed, remembering the sadness he had glimpsed earlier. The sombre look returned to the girl's face, and she nodded.

"She was a friend, you know?" Ty Lee sighed, looking at her hands. "It's just... well, I'm worried for her. Worried about what might happen to her, and worried about what she might become. Ah, but it's okay. I really am fine." She flashed Aang a joyful smile, hindered only by the shimmering still present in her eyes.

Aang had known Ty Lee for a while. At first, he remembered, she had seemed only a ditzy airhead that Azula used as a tool. But it quickly became apparent that that was her way of dealing with her problems. Ty Lee had proven one of the most caring people Aang knew, and he knew what Azula's sudden disappearance must be doing to her. He imagined what he would do if he learned that Zuko had suddenly disappeared, without warning. Aang sighed. He dearly hoped that never happened.

"We'll find her, Ty Lee," Aang said as Ty Lee began to prepare for bed. "And we'll talk with her. She has to have some reason left." From what he remembered of Zuko's recounting of his final battle with her, he wasn't totally sure of that statement. But he hoped that she did still hold some sanity. For Ty Lee's sake.

Ty Lee came around the changing barrier in her night gown and smiled. "Thanks, Aang," she said as she crawled into her own bed. "Promise me one thing?"

"Sure," Aang replied.

"If it comes down to it, don't sacrifice anyone's life to try and get through to her. Not for me. I couldn't bear having that guilt on me."

"If it comes down to it, I'll..." Aang paused. Do what, kill her? Aang still hadn't killed anyone, and he wasn't sure if he could. "I'll do what needs to be done."

Blowing the candle out - having to do it without bending felt like rubbing lemons in a wound - Aang rested his head on the pillow. Sleep came quickly, his last thoughts of warm blood on his hands as he stabbed Azula with a knife, the horror welling up inside of him.

* * *

Rays poked through the drawn curtains, tickling Zuko's eyes. Zuko groaned, rolling over in an attempt to escape the light. His head throbbed painfully, causing him to groan. _Ugh,_ he thought, feeling dizziness surge through him as he pulled blankets up over his head. _Why now, of all times?_

The clang of the morning bell outside drifted into his room, its faint sound reverberating against his skull. Zuko sighed in resignation, throwing back the sheets. The motion caused his stomach to churn and his head to spin, but he ignored it. If the world wouldn't let him sleep, he would just have to trudge forward.

Pulling on the fresh robes left out at the foot of the bed, Zuko steadied himself. His legs felt weak, and sweat beaded against his brow. Nausea, a headache, _and_ a fever. Great. If the palace's Head Mistress found out about this, she would pop a vein. Unfortunately, a Fire Lord's job was never done, and despite his desires, he couldn't spend the day curled up in bed.

Leaving the room at a slow stumble fit for a zombie, Zuko began to make his way to the kitchens. When he was younger, his mother had always fed him toast to help calm his stomach. Servants passed him, shooting him concerned looks as they bowed or curtsied. Zuko gave them reassuring smiles, though he knew it didn't help. His face was probably white as a sheet.

Turning into the kitchen, Zuko waved one of the cooks over. He didn't dare enter the kitchen for fear of infecting the entire palace with whatever bug he had. After requesting a couple slices of toast - the cook looked slightly indignant at being asked to make something so mundane - he let himself lean against the wall, his breathing slightly laboured.

Two overly-gourmet pieces of toast later, Zuko left the kitchen, setting a course for his study with a lethargic gracelessness. There was a lot of paperwork he had left unfinished. He didn't relish in the prospect of spending a day at his desk, but he supposed it was better than on his feet.

Before he reached his study, however, he was stopped in his tracks. A plump woman appeared out of nowhere and planted herself in Zuko's path, hands on her hips. She raised an eyebrow at his appearance. Eleen, the Head Mistress, did not look pleased.

"Your Highness," the Head Mistress said in her low voice. She looked Zuko up and down. "So Sheean was right. You're as sick as a dog. You should be in bed."

"I-" Zuko began, but Eleen cut him off with a "harrumph".

"Yes, I know, Your Majesty. Lots of work to do. It can wait. The Nation won't collapse if you take a day off to recuperate."

"Actually..." Zuko began to protest, but trailed off at a pointed look from Eleen. No one crossed the Head Mistress, not even the Fire Lord.

"You know I-"

Zuko's ear twitched, and instinct told him to duck. He dropped to the floor, pulling Eleen with him and ignoring his stomach's protests. Heat singed the back of his neck as he fell. Glancing up from the floor he saw what appeared to be an arrow made entirely of green fire plough into the far wall, digging deep into the stone before shattering. A deep crack formed along the wall.

Zuko pulled himself to his feet, twisting to face his assailant. A man - or so Zuko assumed by the person's stature - stood at the end of the hall, clad in all black and assuming an offensive stance. Zuko instinctively placed himself in front of Eleen, bending his knees in preparation for a fight.

"Head Mistress, go. Get help," Zuko said. Eleen dashed off just as the man shifted, fire flying from his hands. Zuko easily parried the attack with his own fire despite his weakened state. He waited, watching the man. _What had that been before? Firebending?_ the arrow had been too sharp to be any firebending he knew. It had looked more like a blade than fire. A voice in the back of his head told him he had been unnervingly close to having his head sliced off.

Zuko's opponent made a few gestures with his hands, sending off a plume of fire that nearly filled the hall. Zuko was ready, pushing his own fire against the other's, blocking it's assault.

The attack stopped abruptly, and Zuko moved to launch an attack of his own. His arm, however, had different plans. It fell limply to his side, unresponsive to Zuko's commands. His other arm followed suit, and a moment later Zuko found himself motionless on the floor, staring up at the high palace ceiling. The world spun as his head attempted to balance itself.

"Mrrphl," Zuko tried to say, but his mouth was as cooperative as the rest of him. Nothing worked - his legs, his head. Only his eyes seemed able to move. _What the hell! _Zuko cursed in his mind, watching out the corner of his eyes as the man in black approached.

The man stood over his body, the look in his eyes completely blank. Zuko stared up at the firebender, anger and fear filling him.

"It is customary that we remove the living heart," the man said simply. He bent down, hovering a bloody hand over Zuko's chest. The man used the index and middle fingers of his other hand to draw a symbol with the blood, and suddenly a blade of fire sprung up, perpendicular to his palm. "This will hurt."

Pain erupted in his chest as the blade began to slice into Zuko's flesh. There was a loud shout, and the pain lessened slightly. Zuko saw the man turn, then raise his blade-hand high. He then dropped backwards. Zuko attempted to twist his body, but couldn't. Hot blood trickled down his chest. He watched as one of the guards appeared in his field of vision, staring down at him worriedly. Finally Zuko felt his body relax as people began to swarm around him. Whatever had just happened, Zuko knew he was lucky to be alive.

* * *

_I apologize for the excess amounts of talking in this chapter, but it's needed to start establishing the story. Hurrah for story establishment!_

_I almost didn't get this chapter edited in time. It's finals time at my university, so you know what that means! That's right! It means I feel lazy as crap and have been playing waaaaay too much Final Fantasy 12. I really need to start studying for Calculus. -Pokes Calculus text book squeamishly.-_

_Anyway, I want you all to know I greatly appreciate you comments and reviews! They're like the icing on the cake. A delicious cake of chocolaty goodness._

_... Om nom nom._


	9. Tea Doesn't Cure Death

_Cutting it close to my deadline... again. But here it is! Hurrah! Hurray! Huzzah, even!_

_Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of the universe in which this story is based in. I do however claim ownership of you, the dear reader. That's right. Prepare to be enslaved. -Cracks whip.-_

* * *

It was dark. Well, Toph thought, it was always dark for her. But it seemed very dark. The air was stuffy and thick, pressing in on her. Her earthbending vision was a blank slate. The silence around her was overwhelming. Her arms ached, and her forehead glistened with sweat. She almost felt claustrophobic, and just a little bit afraid.

Hanging by her wrists from a set of wooden chains as she was, the situation looked bleaker than ever. Escape plans eluded her as her mind slowly gave way for a dull haze. A tear slipped from beneath her eyelid every so often, adding to her dehydration. She preferred to be optimistic about these sorts of situations, to fight until she couldn't fight any longer, but her current predicament... Toph shook her head, making a vain attempt to force away the welling hopelessness.

She had called out to Qin a number of times, but it appeared the waterbender had been taken to another... room? Their being separated cut Toph's chances of escape drastically, and that annoyed her. She herself could escape with ease, if only she could bloody _bend_. Her feet ached to feel the rough earth beneath them once more. It made Toph want to scream.

She wasn't sure where she was how long she had spent chained there. After they'd arrived, both Qin and she had been carried a long distance, unceremoniously draped over a shoulder. The increasing level of stuffiness making Toph wonder if she was underground. A stupid move, if Toph ever got her way to the walls. Azula had personally tied Toph to the wooden shackles hanging from the roof, and there she had hung for what seemed like days. The wound in her shoulder had screamed, and Toph had screamed with it. Her throat was still sore.

But now her body had gone numb from the agony. With the physical pain dissipated, Toph's mind had returned to that of her parents, and the mental pain began. She still struggled to maintain hope, to believe they had survived. The tears came anyway, the thought of her parents' slaughter flashing through her mind. She wiped the tears off on her dirtied arm.

And then had come the blank, emptiness she felt now. Sleep took her every so often, sometimes minutes, sometimes hours at a time. During the hours of wakefulness, Toph's mind was silent. It didn't want to think about her captivity, or her uncomfortable position, or the death of her parents. It didn't want to think at all. Toph's brain had shut down, and Toph had no desire to start it back up. If she couldn't think of a way out of Azula's cursed grasp, than it was best to let herself rest a bit. As much as you could hanging from your wrists, that was.

There was a loud bang, and Toph raised her head slowly, attempting to focus. Shouting followed, and Toph recognized Azula's voice. She forced herself fully awake, and strained to hear what was being said.

"-need it now," Azula was saying in a low, fierce voice. "There isn't time for your incompetence."

"But Mistress. it-" There was a smack, and a muffled curse. "Yes, Mistress. We'll have it here as soon as possible."

"Make it sooner," Azula snapped, and Toph heard footsteps as one of the two retreated. Silence returned to the room.

A sigh echoed a few minutes later, and footsteps approached Toph. "Must I do everything myself?" Azula muttered under her breath. "At least Ty Lee and Mai were useful..."

A flicker of hatred tried to rile Toph up, but her body was too exhausted to move. She just hung there, limp as a rag doll, listening to Azula mumble to herself.

Toph suddenly felt a cold hand press against her chin, the touch firm but soft. "At least you were an easy capture. So simple. So elegant. So..."

Wet lips pressed against Toph's own. Toph blinked momentarily, stunned, her brain trying to process the feeling. Then her reflexes kicked in, and she wrenched her head away despite her lack of energy.

"What the hell?" Toph demanded in a scratchy voice. Azula really had gone completely and utterly _mad_. Toph wanted to spit, to scrub her lips with a brush. She settled on wiping them against her arms. They still felt soiled.

Azula let out a grunt of disappointment. "You're a waste of my time," she shot, and Toph listened as Azula's footsteps disappeared out of the room.

Toph hung there, her lips still wet with Azula's saliva. Her throat hurt after having spoken, and she wished she had some water. And some food.

With a sigh, she let her mind return to the blissful numbness, and Toph slowly slipped into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Dawn had hardly broken when Aang awoke. He slid out of bed, changed, and slipped out of the guest room quietly. In the main dining area of the tea shoppe he found Iroh sitting at a table, already sipping tea and staring out the large open doors thoughtfully. The rest of the shoppe was empty, the day still much too young for people to be relaxing with a hot cup of tea.

Iroh's eyes refocused as Aang took the seat across from him. "Good morning," he said cheerily, pouring a second cup of the fragrant tea and handing it to Aang.

"Morning." Aang suppressed a yawn behind his hand. The tea turned out to be hot and bitter, the perfect brew for a swift jolt to wakefulness in the morning.

The morning dawn filled the tea shoppe from the door, the tall doors angled just right to catch the summer hues. Tables glistened in the light, long shadows dancing on the back wall. Aang could already feel the sun's warmth wrap around him, and he let out a contented sigh, almost forgetting the problems that had plagued him the night before. He smiled, understanding why Iroh was so happy and content with his shop. One could quickly forget about the past and simply live in the moment.

As Iroh poured himself another cup of tea from the steaming pot sitting on the table, he turned to Aang and asked, "So, dream of any ideas? I always say the best thing for thinking is a little sleep and some tea." He sipped his cup thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure," Aang admitted, shaking his head. "Zuko asked me to find Azula, and it looks like that's even more important now. But I have no idea where to even start. She could be anywhere, and we've had no leads so far."

"I wish I could help you there. The princess has truly vanished."

"I was also warning the others while I searched for clues," Aang continued. "Anyone Azula might try and target. Zuko and Mai know, of course, and I've already been to Katara, and Sokka and Suki. Ty Lee is with me. So the only person I haven't talked to yet is Toph."

"She was on her way to her parents, the last I spoke with her," Iroh offered.

"That's what Sokka told me," Aang said. "I suppose that's our next stop. I could use her help."

The two lapsed into silence for awhile, sipping their tea as they lost themselves in their thoughts. Ty Lee appeared before the sun truly broke the horizon and joined them at the table, quipping about how awesome Iroh's shoppe looked in the morning. "It should be crammed!" she exclaimed as she lounged in the sun.

It wasn't until about mid-morning, when the first of Iroh's employees started arriving to get the shoppe ready for the usual afternoon bustle, that they learned of the pandemonium besetting the city. One of the younger employees ran into the shoppe, his hat scrunched in his hand and his coat hanging from only one arm, panic painting his face red. He spotted Iroh and rushed over, nearly collapsing on the table as he tried to make his mouth form words.

"Earth King... killed... chaos..." the man gasped out as he tried to gulp air. Sweat began to pour down his forehead, and he looked exhausted to the point of collapsing.

"Taiyan, slow down," Iroh said in a calm voice. "Catch your breath and tell us what happened.

The man breathed deeply for a moment, making a visible attempt to compose himself. "The Earth King," he repeated once he was finally able to speak, "has been assassinated. Chaos is breaking out over the city."

Aang sprung from his chair. The Earth King was dead? This was a time of peace! No, Aang knew who was responsible. The only people that could be responsible.

Iroh's face took on a hard look as he rose from his chair. "Are you sure, Taiyan?"

Taiyan nodded. "Rumours say it happened sometime last night, and his body was discovered this morning. I don't know anything else..."

"Thank-you," Iroh squeezed Taiyan's shoulder. "Prepare the shoppe as normal, and try to calm anyone who seeks refuge here. Tea is on the house today."

Aang was already halfway to the door by the time Iroh left the employee to follow. The full blast of the sun hit him as he stepped out into the large courtyard in front of the shoppe. From their vantage point above the city, Aang could see the bustle down in the streets. There was more movement than could be accounted for at this hour of the morning, and more than a few shouts could be heard breaking the dawn air. Ty Lee came up beside him, looking confused.

"Appa!" Aang called, pulling his whistle from his pocket. He blew on it hard, and a moment later the large Sky Bison came soaring through the air, landing heavily on the ground. Aang moved to air bend his way onto the beasts back, then checked the motion and climbed up instead. As he pulled himself into the saddle, a familiar face pounced on him, nearly knocking him to the saddle floor.

"Momo!" Aang cried, chuckling slightly despite the situation. Momo chattered happily, perching on Aang's shoulder. He had nearly forgotten that the small winged-lemur had been hanging in Ba Sing Se, preferring the open skies of the Earth Kingdom city to the small dusty rooms Aang had spent the last few years in as he ran diplomatic missions.

Ty Lee hopped up into the saddle, and a moment later she had Iroh in as well. Aang snapped back to the present and tugged on Appa's reins. They rose into the sky with dizzying quickness. Aang sat himself on his friend's neck and gently directed Appa over the city, watching the people below. As they drew closer to the residential areas lying near to the palace, Aang began to see what the employee had meant by chaos. People dotted the streets, fighting amongst themselves, running in all directions. Aang watched as one came out of a shop with arms heavily burdened. Aang had to blink back surprise. He could understand a relative amount of chaos at the death of the Earth King, but outright looting in the streets? He needed to get this under control, and fast.

He pulled on Appa's reins, and they redirected themselves toward the castle. They had to get to the bottom of this and settle the city before there was a complete disaster.

As Appa landed in the large courtyard in front of the palace Aang leapt off, all but running toward the palace doors. The guards that usually stood at the doors were absent. Every man had probably been called to keep order in the city. Aang burst through the doors, racing down halls lined with tapestries and marble busts. He nearly mowed down a servant rushing in the other direction. By the time he reached the throne room, he'd toppled two porcelain vases, and Ty Lee and Iroh were long lost.

A group of people gathered in the throne room turned their heads as he slowed to a fast walk, the red carpet muffling his footsteps. One man broke off as he recognized Aang and approached, his face looking grim. The others returned to their conversation, periodically glancing at Aang from the corner of their eyes. Sudden relief of having the Avatar there was apparent on their faces.

"Master Aang," the man said, making a low bow. Aang recognized the man - Chancellor Ying, adviser to the King. "It is a relief to see the Avatar has come."

"What happened?" Aang asked, still slightly out of breath from his sprint through the palace.

"Ahh," Ying frowned. "That is in debate, at the moment. Our only information is that the Earth King is deceased, and it appears to be at the hands of a fire bender."

That would explain the near-rioting in the streets. If word had gotten out that a firebender had assassinated the King, it could mean that the Fire Nation was preparing an assault. It would likely be the first thing jumping into people's heads anyway, so soon after the last war. And with the Avatar being such close friends with Fire Lord Zuko...

"I need you to get word to the people that the Avatar is in the city, and doing all he can to help settle the matter," Aang spoke quickly. Ying motioned toward one of the men in the circle, and he came over, a curious look touching his eyes. "And tell them that the Fire Nation is not involved." Hopefully that would quell some of the insanity. Some.

Ying relayed the order to the man, and with a curt nod the man flew out of the throne room, exiting through the doors at the same moment as Ty Lee and Iroh jogged in.

"I also would request that you to take me to the Earth King's body," Aang said as Iroh and Ty Lee approached. Ying nodded, and a moment later they were making their way through the palace halls as a quick pace. Servants ran through the halls, and Aang noticed the panic covering their faces. At a time like this, the entire palace hierarchy would be a mess, the servants not least of all.

The King's chambers weren't far from the throne room. Aang threw open the door, and was immediately struck by the stench that came forward. Covering his nose with his shirt, he stepped into the room. Light from the window illuminated the large chambers, and atop the bed Aang spotted what looked like a charred lump.

As he approached, he recognized the face of the King, his expression contorted with pain. The rest of his body was barely human. His chest was a mixture of ash and dried blood. His limbs... looked as though they had melted into the bed. There were holes in the bed where his hands should have been, and Aang nearly gagged when he glanced in them and saw the congealed remains of liquefied flesh.

Iroh stepped up beside Aang, examining the corpse. "This is unnatural," he said, voice laden with disgust. "No firebender I know of could have caused this much damage. Fire burns the flesh, it does not melt it."

The sound of wrenching came from behind, and Aang glanced over his shoulder to see Ty Lee bent double in a corner by the door. "I think we know who is responsible," Aang replied, turning back to the King's face. His eyes were sunk in, as though the support of his skull had left them.

They left the Earth King to his rest, closing the door behind them. Ying stood patiently outside, and nodded solemnly as they approached.

"Did you discover anything," the man asked, holding a hand to his nose against the stench.

"We know who the culprits are," Aang replied. "I've been encountering them for the past week. They attacked Kyoshi Island two days ago."

Ying sighed to himself. "Another war..." he mumbled under his breath. "Kyoshi Island and the Earth King. What are their motives?"

"Sewing chaos," Iroh replied as he comforted a rather shaken Ty Lee. She had apparently gotten a glimpse of the corpse after emptying her stomach, and her face was a sickly white. "I worry for Zuko."

Aang's head whipped around so fast it cracked. "Zuko? Why?" The words slurred together.

"The easiest way to cause chaos worldwide," Iroh explained, "would be to take down each head of government. I wouldn't be surprised if attempts had been made on all the Nation leaders."

Which. Meant. _Zuko_. Aang whipped around and tore down the hall so fast he tripped over his own feet, flying headfirst into a marble statue. The statue toppled, nearly landing atop him. He paid it no heed, jumping to his feet, but before he could move he felt a strong grip grasp his arm.

"Not so fast, Aang," Iroh said calmly. Aang struggled to free himself from the old man's vice.

"If Zuko's in danger, I need to be there. _Now!_" Aang protested, prying at Iroh's large fingers.

"_If_ he's in danger," Iroh emphasized, "he would likely already have been attacked. And he can protect himself far better than you could in your situation. Calm down."

Aang stopped struggling as Iroh's logic settled in.

"Even so..." Aang said, feeling the tears sting his eyes. "I need to know if he's safe. I need to know if..." He suddenly felt exhausted, and had to use the fallen statue to steady himself before he fell.

Iroh placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. "I'm sure Zuko is fine. He's a fine warrior, and the military defence around the Fire palace is greater than that here. No offence," he added to Ying, who had caught up and was watching the scene with a tinge of wonder. Aang scrubbed at his eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed at his public breakdown.

Composing his face - his mind still raced with emotion and panic - Aang took a deep breath. "You're right. However, as the Avatar, I need to know the extent of the damage. And the actions of this damn cult."

Iroh nodded, apparently happy with the control Aang had summoned. He dropped his hand from Aang's shoulder. "I will remain here and attempt to settle the city. Perhaps a new Earth King can be raised before things get too out of control." He smiled reassuringly.

"Ty Lee," Aang turned to the woman in question. She still looked as thought she was ready to heave again. "Can I ask you to visit Toph's parent's home? This situation is starting to escalate fast, and I think we'll need everyone for this."

"Of course," Ty Lee nodded. "I'll get directions from Iroh and leave tonight."

"Thanks," Aang nodded. "I'm going to retrace my steps and gather Sokka, Suki, and Katara. Then I'm checking on Zuko. We'll meet back at Iroh's tea shoppe in a week?"

"It is a plan, then," Iroh agreed. "I wish you safety on your journey."

Aang made quick goodbyes and apologized to Ying for leaving the city in its current state. Then he was outside, mounting Appa and heading off into the sky, back toward Kyoshi Island. Back toward Zuko.

* * *

_There it is. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have a sudden urge to review and tell me how awesome I am, I highly encourage such acts. If you have the urge to message me and tell me how much I suck... well, I guess I'll accept those too. But then no cookie for you. These are _my_ cookies!_

_And now I shall run off to watch the new episode of Glee, because I'm lame like that. -Scuttles off.-_


	10. War and Peace

_Sorry there was no update last week. I was on vacation, and tried to get a chapter edited, I swear! I'm back, though. No worries! :3_

_Disclaimer: I disclaim things. Like Avatar, The Last Airbender. I do not disclaim your soul though. _

* * *

"Oh come on!" Sokka exclaimed, yanking his foot from under the fallen plank of wood. He grabbed his toes and rubbed them through the leather shoes, trying to get them to stop stinging. That was the third time he'd dropped something on his foot that day. It was a miracle he could still walk.

Suki giggled at him as she set her half of the large plank down. "Perhaps it's time for a lunch break," she said. She ran off to gather some food with a quick, "Be back soon!" Sokka settled himself on a nearby set of stairs with a sigh, waiting for her return and watching the activity around him.

People lined the streets, carrying wood or food or water, rushing to help in this repair project or to put that fire out. The village was working as a team, making swift progress in their efforts to rebuild. Everyone but Sokka, that was. He just felt clumsy.

It was because he was distracted, he admitted to himself. His mind kept returning to the day before last. Something didn't feel right with him about the attack on their island. The attackers - whoever they were - said they were there for Aang, but that didn't seem to sit right with him. They had attacked before Aang's arrival, with a full frontal assault. Which meant that if Aang was their goal, either they were willing to sacrifice their men to get that collar on Aang, or they expected to capture the Avatar, despite the odds. Both would have been accomplished through a stealth mission with much greater ease.

So was an assault on the island their initial goal? It was a famous island, sure, but it wasn't particularly big, or influential in the world's governments. It didn't pose any sort of threat, and as far as Sokka knew, there was nothing of any true value on the island. Sokka sighed, rubbing his temple. He had spent the better part of the morning trying to reason this out, and it was starting to give him a headache.

Smoke still rose into the air from some areas of the village, the black plumes dancing in the wind. The sun shone through a cloudless sky - had the village not been attacked the day before, it would have been a peaceful day, with children playing in the streets, adults making excuses to lounge outside. A pang of dismay hit Sokka. If they really were after Aang, then they wouldn't have attacked the village had Sokka not been there. Was he a danger to the village? Was it... his fault?

Sokka shook his head vigorously. He couldn't start thinking like that. You started that, and pretty soon you were a blubbering mess in the corner, rambling about how you'd caused the apocalypse. Or something.

Sokka spotted Suki trotting back toward him, a bag slung over her shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief, looking forward to the company. He had spent too much time in his own thoughts that morning. He needed a break, something to relax him so he could tackle the problem with a new slate. That, and he was damn hungry. His stomach growled happily at the prospect of food.

Taking a seat beside him - Suki's thigh pressed against Sokka's, and he felt a slight tingle shoot up his spine - Suki opened the bag, revealing a number of ripe pears and a loaf of warm bread. Sokka wasted no time in grabbing a hunk of bread and a pear, and together they ate, their ravenous hunger driving them to a comfortable silence.

It wasn't long before their lunch was interrupted. Old and frail, the mayor of Kyoshi Island shuffled up to them with a sigh. Sokka noticed that she looked worn and tired. He remembered not too long ago when she'd have a spring in her step and a temper that didn't let anything get her down. Too much had happened in the past while.

"Mayor Saila," Suki stood, letting the mayor take a seat. She lowered herself slowly, groaning as her joints bent.

"Ahh," Saila set the butt of her cane on the ground between her legs and leaned on it. "Hard at work, I see."

"A quick lunch break," Sokka replied, biting into his pear.

Saila reached into the sack and pulled out a pear of her own, munching on it thoughtfully. "You know," she mused. "When I was young, I did this rather often. Villages were frequently getting attacked as the Fire Nation made advances. I spent a great deal of my younger years putting up houses and gathering fruits for the labourers." Her eyes took on a slightly sorrowful look. "I had hoped that the Fire Nation would be stopped, and that the fighting would cease. I suppose one out of two isn't bad."

"With the Avatar back, and the Fire Nation quelled, there should be peace," Sokka said ruefully. He truly wished he could believe that - that he could have a quiet life with Suki. To settle down and not have to worry about people getting killed for whatever reason. As long as there was fighting, though, he knew that neither he nor Suki would be able to sit still.

"Peace is... well peace is like this pear." Saila held up her half-eaten pear, the juice sparkling in the sunlight. "On the tree it is a beautiful fruit, a marvel of nature. But as soon as someone is hungry," she took a bite out of the pear, "it is broken, destroyed. No longer the beauty it once was. And when too much is fed off it..." Taking one last bite, Saila threw the core to the ground. The fruit rolled in the dirt, collecting stones and dust. "It dies."

"And is reborn again as something more," Suki added. She knelt beside the pear, digging a small hole and burying the pear.

Saila smiled fondly. "Indeed it does, child. Indeed it does."

Sokka opened his mouth to ask the mayor about her thoughts on the attack, when a scream in the distance tore his attention away. He was on his feet in a second, his hand on the handle of the boomerang that clung to his back. A second scream echoed the first, this time from another part of the village. And a third, and fourth. Sokka moved to run in one direction, then changed as the shouting shifted.

"What's going on?" Suki asked, her katana in hand. She stood in a defensive stance, prepared for an attack at any moment. Sokka moved a hand to grasp his sword, and realized he hadn't donned it that morning. He had hoped that their luck wouldn't be so bad as to have two attacks in the same week. He should have erred toward caution.

An sudden explosion rocked the village, throwing wood and shingles into the air. The ground shook, and Sokka bent his knees for balance. Black smoke billowed from where fire now ate at the broken houses. And through the smoke Sokka saw them. Men on large, lizard-like creatures barreling toward the village. The air around them shimmered with heat. Fire flew, striking here and consuming there. Airbourne as they were, it took the invaders mere seconds to light half the village aflame.

People shouted in the streets. Kyoshi warriors and those willing to defend their homes rushed to take up arms, arrows flying at the speeding lizards. Children scurried for cover, eyes filled with tears. Others ran aimlessly, calling for lost family members or trying to find shelter.

One of the lizards bore down on Sokka's position, the man atop summoning flame from his hands. Sokka took aim and fired. His boomerang slid through the air, taking the man in the back. He lurched forward and fell, a trail of blood following him to where he hit the ground with a thud.

The lizard slammed into the ground beside Sokka and snarled. Two small eyes fixed on them, red with rage. Sokka took one look at the beast's teeth and nearly fainted on the spot.

Snatching his boomerang from the air, he threw it just in time to duck out of the way. The lizard lunged, snapping down on the ground where Sokka had been a second before. As it spat the mouthful of dirt out, the boomerang struck it in the side. It bounced off the creature's scaly skin, the beast barely flinching.

Suki was there in a flash, her saber a blur of death. It struck the creature in the eye, the tongue, the neck. Suki ducked a swing of the beast's wing, bringing her blade up to shear through the wing flap. Blood splattered her as the wing tore, eliciting a roar pain. The beast thrashed wildly, the ground shaking beneath its weight. In its madness it attempted to take to the air. One wing lifted, the other collapsing to the beast's side, and a second later a horrendous crash resounded as the creature slammed into a nearby house. It stirred momentarily, then fell still.

"They didn't have those before," Suki noted, wiping her sword on the cloak of the fallen firebender.

Sokka stared at the sky, trying to count the number of figures soaring through the smoke. There were dozens. Hundreds. They lined the sky, carpeting it in fire and scales.

One fell in the distance, and another, but still more fire engulfed the sky. The blue was gone, replaced by black and red, flames and embers and smoke. Sokka could feel the air beginning to burn his skin, and he coughed as the smoke thickened.

"Come on!" he cried, grabbing Suki's hand. He turned to Saila, pointing toward the ocean. "We need to get out of here!" He hated the idea of running, but remaining exposed would be suicide.

Saila stood perfectly still, staring grimly at the destruction before them. "A captain goes down with his ship; a mayor goes down with her city," Saila replied. She shook her head, her white hair glowing with a fiery aura. "You two, run. Survive. You helped the Avatar save the world once before. I think it might be time to do so again."

She strode forward, her fragile legs moving quickly as she disappeared around a corner. Sokka watched her go with a pang of sadness. He'd miss the old mayor. The whole village. There would be nothing left, he knew. No survivors. He gave the village one last glance, watching as it burned to the ground around him.

"We should go," Suki said softly in his ears. Sokka could hear the sadness in her voice. He turned to her and nodded, a tear sliding through the soot on his face.

They dodged fire and ducked lizards, making a mad dash toward the ocean. Suki took the lead, maneuvering through the chaos. Sokka tried to not look at the corpses already littering the street, but he couldn't ignore them. He could feel the death around him.

Water lapped against the island's beach, red with fire. Sokka noticed bodies floating in the water, facedown and limp. He shuddered, and stepped into the calm ocean bay. The cold water stung his burnt skin, both painful and refreshing.

They swam, ignoring the screams, the explosions, the roaring fire that filled the air behind them. They kept their heads low, submerging completely except when needing a breath. It was a long, tiring swim. As they made it around a small peninsula, Sokka breathed a short sigh of relief. They were out of sight of the enemy now.

"Down here," Suki whispered, motioning Sokka underwater. Her head disappeared a moment later. Sokka followed her, the water blurring his vision. Water churned in his ears, and his soaked clothes weighed him down.

They entered a small cave. It narrowed quickly, and Sokka felt a stab of panic as the rock began to close in on him. Then, just as he thought he might get stuck, the cave opened up. His lungs ached for air, and as he broke the water's surface he gasped, sucking in the wondrous air.

Sokka leaned against the cave wall as he recovered from the underwater swim, glancing around the cave before him. It was dank and dark, a shaft of sunlight from the surface illuminating the cave walls dimly. The ceiling stood high enough for Sokka to stand, but the walls were close, only large enough for about four people to stand abreast.

"This was unexpected," Sokka said, turning his gaze to Suki. She sat with her back against a large rock, inspecting the burns that covered her body. The majority of them didn't look too bad. "Where did you find this place?"

Suki didn't look up at him, but instead began to tear a strip off her shirt. "I found it when I was a kid," she said, using the cloth to bandage up a small gash on her arm. It was bleeding, but not enough to cause worry. "We should be safe here."

Settling himself on the floor, Sokka began to examine himself. Blood was running from a small cut on his leg, and he could feel another gash leaking blood into his hair. He didn't remember getting either. A few spots along his exposed skin were raw from the fires, but he couldn't do much about those at the moment. Instead he set about bandaging his head.

Sighing, Suki leaned her head back against the wall. Sokka could see her watching him as he began working on his leg. "I used to come here a lot," she said, her voice soft. "Whenever Father got mad, or I just needed to get away." Her voice held a hint of fond reminiscence. Sokka gave her a comforting smile.

Suki returned the smile for a brief moment. A couple tears shimmered in her eyes. "Now it's gone," she whispered. "The village, the people. Everything I grew up with."

"We don't know that," Sokka replied lamely. He knew Suki was probably right. The "battle" - Sokka thought it more a slaughter than anything - hadn't shown any hope of leaving survivors. He wasn't about to tell Suki that, though.

Shuffling over to sit beside Suki, Sokka put an arm around her. She leaned into him, pressing her face against his shoulder, sobs leaking out. They sat like that for a long time, Suki crying, Sokka trying to comfort her and keep from tearing up himself. The occasional rumble from the surface shook the cave walls, but otherwise they were alone, hidden. Waiting out a massacre while their friends died.

Sokka glanced up at the ceiling, weariness grappling with him. They needed to find Aang. Something was terribly wrong. Sokka knew that this wouldn't be the only battle the world would see in the next few months. War was coming, again. And it would be up to Aang to stop it.

Suki grew quiet against him, her breaths becoming deep. She'd fallen asleep. Sokka sighed and let sleep take him as well, the sounds of screams and fire raging in his head as it did so.

* * *

_Waka waka! Thanks for reading, if you read it! If you didn't read it... what are you doing down here? O.o_


	11. Aftermath

_Alright ya bloody savages, here she blows! I'm sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out. One extra week turned into a month and a half. It was so horrid. Anyway, I hope you enjoy._

_Disclaimer: Sokka owns Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the creators know it._

* * *

The clouds zipped by above as Appa soared through the sky, his tail making wide sweeps of the air. Aang rested his chin on the saddle's large pummel, watching the ground. His mind had been racing for the first few hours of the journey, worrying about Zuko, about the other kingdoms. Chaos around the world would be devastating, especially so soon after the Fire Nation's reign. Aang had cursed himself for not catching this sooner, reassured himself that he couldn't have seen it coming, and then felt guilty all the same. Now he was simply tired. He tried to keep his eyes open so he could watch for Kyoshi Island. Appa knew the way, but Aang wanted to be awake when they arrived.

The sun began to scrape the horizon above, indicating that they'd been travelling most of the day. Aang felt a pang of guilt for forcing Appa to travel so much in the past few days. He feared this was only the beginning, though. Another threat to the three kingdoms meant Aang would be busy for awhile. If he could do anything with that blasted collar around his neck, that was.

"Hum," Aang sighed, pulling himself back into a proper sitting position. His neck was sore, and his leg was numb from sitting on it the wrong way. Absently, he fingered the metal collar, slipping his fingers underneath to try and give the skin some air. It was growing physically uncomfortable, as though the emotional discomfort it brought wasn't enough.

Momo glided over to him, alighting on his shoulder. He chattered in Aang's ear for a second, then nosed the collar suspiciously. His chatters sounded concerned.

"I know, buddy," Aang said, attempting to sound reassuring, and patted the winged-lemur on the head. "It'll come off soon." _Hopefully,_ Aang added to himself. They had determined that their best bet at getting the collar off was to capture a Bloodsworn and get them to remove it, but Aang didn't see how that was possible when they could died before you could even talk to them. As for Ty Lee's suggestion of Azula, Aang doubted very strongly that she would be willing to remove it, _if_ she was even involved in the cult in the first place. Not to mention he needed to find her first. Though with the collar, Aang wasn't sure he wanted to find her. It wouldn't be a very productive meeting on his part, he was sure.

Appa let out a loud groan and began to descend. Aang straightened, causing Momo to hop onto the saddle. In the distance the ocean could be seen under a dark cloud cover. Kyoshi Island was obscured by the clouds, but Aang knew that was where it would lay.

As they drew closer, a strong stench of wood smoke began to fill Aang's nostrils. He sniffed the air, confused. The smoke from the other day should have dissipated long ago. He glanced at the clouds again, noticing for the first time the thick stream that connected it to the ocean. No, to an island just barely visible through the haze.

"Appa, go!" Aang urged. Appa pushed himself forward. Wind whipped at Aang's shirt, made his eyes water, but he ignored it. Squinting, he tried to penetrate the smoke to see what was happening.

They entered the smoke, and a minute later Appa landed hard in one of the village's streets. Fires burned all around them, billowing up to create the twisting storm of haze above. Aang took one sweeping glance of the village and fell to his knees. Despair racked him. Bodies littered the streets. The smooth dirt paths were covered in blood-soaked ash. Children lay mutilated in ditches, the elderly sprawled against burning decks. The few houses that weren't caught on fire had been twisted and melted on their frames. It was familiar. It was carnage.

It was the Bloodsworn.

Aang let out a bellowing scream, the sound causing his own ears to ring. He let out all his frustration - guilt at not being there to help the people, rage at the Bloodsworn for being so callous with the lives of others. An entire village full of people, gone. Hundreds of innocents, civilians, children, elderly...

Sokka and Suki. The thought made his heart drop into his stomach. With another yell he punched the ground. Pain shot through his arm, but he ignored that too, letting the sobs take over. His body shook, tears splashing to the ground to mix with the ash. How could this have happened? How?

The smoke stung Aang's nostrils, the smell of blood and fire and death choking him, but he sat and wept, unable to do anything else. Appa shuffled over, nuzzling him comfortingly with his nose. Aang wrapped his fingers up in Appa's fur, crying into the soft white hair.

Full darkness fell before Aang was finally able to pick himself up off the road. From there he began wandering the streets aimlessly, glancing into houses, looking for any survivors. The heat dried his tears, his eyes too drained to replace them. He felt numb as he searched, calling out lamely for anyone around. No one answered.

At one of the houses Aang stopped, staring up at the twisted framework. Like a few of the houses back where Aang had landed, this one hadn't caught fire, but been melted. Like the flesh of Ba Sing Se's King, the wood had congealed, dripping along the sides and collapsing in the middle, then solidified again. It looked like melted icing. So the Bloodsworn had been here. He was sure of it.

If they had been here before, they weren't here now. The village was completely deserted. Aang leaned back against Appa, staring at the melted house. Questions attacked his mind. How could people preform such a slaughter? Why would the Bloodsworn so adamantly attack Kyoshi Island, of all places? Surely not just to get at Aang. How would he even have known, with no survivors left to bring him news? No, this wasn't a trap; it was too violent, too little chance of drawing him in. And they would have grabbed him whole he wept. He wasn't exactly hidden.

With a heavy sigh, Aang set the questions aside, clearing his mind. He pulled himself up into Appa's saddle. He was tired, his head pounded from the sobbing, and he was dreadfully thirsty. Fire and tears had sapped all the water out of him. He wanted to do a pass over the surrounding forest, though. If he'd survived such a massacre, he'd have done it by fleeing the village. Chances were that was where any survivors were hiding.

Taking to the air, he continued to call out, searching the trees for people. He saw none. He circled the island a half-dozen times, flying low, but still nothing. The ground was scorched, and most of the forest had been burned, many of the trees still smouldering lightly, illuminating the area in the dark. Aang started to doubt his chances of finding anyone, though. A burning forest wouldn't have seemed the best place to go, even amongst the fighting.

Aang made Appa take one final pass, then resigned himself to the inevitable. There were no survivors. No Sokka popping out to explain what had happened, no Suki to smile and try and comfort him. Their bodies were most likely lost in the streets, unrecognizable. He allowed himself to collapse in the saddle, the exhaustion of the day overwhelming him. As he fell asleep, he felt Appa make a wide turn south, and could only hope that Katara hadn't met with the same fate.

* * *

"Hello!"

Sokka groaned, shifting against the hard bed. He moved his hand to his face, trying to cover it, mumbling to himself. Why did people have to be so loud?

"Is anyone there?"

A warm body rubbed against Sokka's arm, and he smiled. He rolled, wrapping an arm around it, embracing the heat. It felt oddly cold this morning. He nuzzled his nose in Suki's hair, and she giggled softly against his chest. His body was stiff and sore, and he felt like he was sitting, but that didn't matter. He just wanted to go back to sleep. The sound of the water was so calming. Was that the tide?

"Sokka! Suki! Anyone!"

Sokka finally cracked an eye open at the sound of his name, glancing around the room. It was dark - he couldn't see much at all. That was odd, shouldn't it be morn-

Realization hit him like a slap to the face, and he jolted upright. Suki sat up beside him, startled by the sudden movement.

"What is it?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. She let out a deep yawn, stretching as she awoke.

"It's Aang, I thought I heard him," Sokka said, motioning Suki to be quiet. He stared at a hole in the cave's roof, where a thin shaft of moonlight came through. He held his breath, waiting. If it had been Aang...

"Anyone! Can you hear me?" a faint shout echoed through the cavern. Sokka jumped to his feet, letting out a loud whoop of joy. This saved the trouble of finding the Avatar.

"Come on," Sokka urged to a still sleepy Suki. "We have to get outside and let Aang know we're here." He pulled Suki to the water and let her go first - she knew the way better than he. She stepped into the water, gave a slight shake at the cold, and plunged in. Sokka followed close behind, the icy water sapping away any last vestiges of sleepiness he had left.

He broke the surface a moment later. Moonlight shimmered on the black waters as they lazily bobbed up and down, Yue's spirit peeking between the smoke and the horizon. Splashes nearby signalled Suki moving toward the shore. Sokka followed, crawling up onto the rocks and giving himself a shake.

Without hesitation Sokka tilted his head back and bellowed, "Aang!" Suki covered an ear as she watched the skies, looking for any sign of the Avatar's trademark Sky Bison.

Silence fell, the waves lapping against the rocks the only sound. They waited for a reply shout, for Appa, for anything. Nothing came.

Sokka cupped his hands around his mouth and took a deep breath. "_Aang!_" The sound reverberated around them, making his ears ring. Only the light breeze replied.

"No!" Sokka shouted, cursing. He punched the face of the cliff and immediately regretted it. Rubbing his hand, he sighed and sat down next to Suki. "Where did he go?"

"He must have left," Suki replied, resting a hand on Sokka's arm and squeezing comfortingly. "It's dark."

Sokka nodded. They sat there for a few moments, then wordlessly began to make their way toward the village. Fires still smoldered, sending up a thick stream of smoke. It made Sokka's eyes water.

The scene around them was one of sheer horror. By the light of the flickering flames, Sokka could see bodies littering the streets. Slowly he stumbled up to the nearest one. Blank eyes stared up at him, a scream still frozen on his face. Tenris.

He moved to the next, and the next, recognizing faces as he moved. Some were mangled beyond comprehension, other burned. He mourned them, known or not. Tears were springing into his eyes. He passed over men, women, children. One girl nearly made him collapse with grief. Martha. Four years old, her face contorted in terror and pain. Her eyes dead in her pale head.

Suki moved to his side as he turned away from the girl. Tears shimmered in her eyes as well. She shook her head, and they began to move up the road, toward the forest. Away from the village. Away from the pain.

As they reached the outskirts, Sokka nearly tripped over a body sprawled in the ash. Despite himself, he glanced down at it. Saila's white hair was stained black, and the lower half of her face scorched a deep, festering pink. She lay on her side, staring at nothing, only a look of resignation and sadness touching her aged face.

"No..." Sokka breathed. Suki tugged at his arm insistently, and he allowed himself to be dragged along. Saila couldn't be dead. She had been so kind to Sokka, had reminded him so strongly of his own grandmother. She couldn't be gone. She couldn't.

Charred grass crunched under their boots as they entered the forest. Around them black trees stood like mourners in the night, glowing in the light of the fire. They stopped only a few feet in and collapsed to the ground to let the sadness wrack them for a time. Tears tumbled down both their faces, and Suki was overcome by a fit of sobs once more.

Knowing he needed to be strong - for Suki, and for himself - and knowing that they had to find Aang, Sokka stood up a few minutes after falling, staring out over the burning buildings. He watched the smoke swirl and tumble about itself, black, white, and red intermingling in a sort of dance. It filled the sky, obscuring view of the mainland to the north. In the distance the moon broke through, twinkling on the dark waters below.

Sokka sighed, clearing his mind of the horrors of the night and trying to focus on what was ahead. They had to find Aang, that was for certain. But he had no idea how he was going to do that. The few boats the island carried were burned, and even if they could reach the mainland... Aang could be anywhere. And then, assuming he could find Aang, what next? They had no idea who these terrorists were, what their motives were. As far as he knew, Aang was still collared, his avatar powers useless for the time being. Even if the nations declared war with these men in black, the location of their base was unknown. Sokka glanced absently at one of the melted houses. Their firebending was unprecedented. Sokka had never seen anything like it.

Sokka felt a hand gently brush his shoulder, and he gave a start. Suki gave him a weak smile, standing behind him and staring up at the dancing colours above. "Iroh," she whispered, her voice still horse from crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, but tears no longer splashed across her face. She must have wept herself dry while Sokka was thinking. "We should go to Iroh..."

Nodding, Sokka replied, "Aang was heading that way before he left. Maybe he went back there. Or maybe Iroh knows where Aang was headed next." It was a good idea. Sokka was surprised he didn't think of it himself. "And when Hawky returns-"

"We can send him a message," Suki finished his sentence for him. A light seemed to shine in her eye, a small spark of determination. With a plan to set into motion, she was ready for action. She could put aside the night's events from her mind. For a time.

Sokka set out, setting a quick pace for the village's docks. He went around the town, not wanting to relive the horror. He doubted he could ignore it, even if he steeled himself for what he already knew would be there. The village was small, and even going around it they reached the other side in no time at all.

The docks were, as Sokka had predicted, thoroughly burned. Bits of driftwood floated amongst the one short docking bridge, the bridge's planks scarred and shattered. The dock's storehouse, a small shed set beside the road leading into the village, was miraculously intact. They crossed the distance to the building, Suki giving him a curious look.

They had to get themselves to the mainland if they wanted to track down Iroh. With the boats gone, that wouldn't be an easy task. Luckily, Sokka had reviewed a number of schematics for large ferrying rafts, back when he and the "GAang" were helping Zuko stabilize the Fire Nation. They'd been used to quickly ferry people across larger rivers, and were a bit more complicated than what Sokka could make on the spot, but with the right tools and a bit of time, Sokka thought he could construct a working replica that could get them across the ocean and onto the mainland.

Cracking open the shed, Sokka glanced inside. It was dark, the door facing away from both the fires and the distant moonlight. Squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to adjust his sight quicker, he began to feel around the shed. He pricked his hand against something sharp, cursed, clutching his hand, and then stubbed his toe on something solid.

"For God's sake!" Sokka shouted, his eyes snapping open. He could barely make the outlines of the shed walls. "Now I know what Toph must feel like without her earthbending."

"What are you looking for?" Suki asked, poking her head in the shed.

"Rope," Sokka replied, cautiously extending his hand again. "Lots of it. And a wood axe." He hoped he found the handle of the axe before he found the head.

"Hold on," Suki said simply, and she disappeared. Sokka sighed, groping around gingerly. His hand passed over a bundle of cloth and a large, wooden contraption that he didn't recognize, but nothing overly interesting.

Suki returned a moment later, and light suddenly flickered in the shed. Sokka squinted at her, blinking through the seemingly blaring light. She held a small, hand sized board, a small fire eating at the end of it. An improvised torch. Smart.

"Hurry," Suki said, shifting the torch between hands. "This thing's hot, and I don't think it'll last long."

Nodding, Sokka returned to his search of the storehouse. It was small and cramped, things piling up along the walls. Sokka's eyes quickly picked out a couple large lengths of rope, however, and as he slid the loops onto his shoulder, Suki held up a large woodaxe, examining it curiously.

"That should work," Sokka said, setting the rope in place. He left the shed, Suki trailing behind. She dropped the torch in the dirt road as they made their way back into the forest.

Most of the forest was black, charred by the intense fires that had roared across the entire island. But a small portion of the forest, a clump of trees growing on the northern cliffs, were untouched. It was here that Sokka dropped the rope and took the woodaxe from Suki. He steadied himself in front of the nearest sizable tree. He'd never chopped down a tree before, but he'd seen people in the village do it. How hard could it be?

He swung, wielding the axe like his sword. The blade hit the tree and deflected sideways, sending a tremor up his arm and slamming into the ground at his feet. He jumped back in surprise.

"Nice," Suki commented. She leaned against a tree to the side, arms crossed and a hint of a smile on her face.

"I'd like to see you do better," Sokka replied, slightly indignant. He spread his legs, steadied himself, and swung again. This time it struck, making a small indent in the tree.

"Ha!" he said triumphantly. He pulled the axe out, and struck again. And again. The indent grew incrementally larger.

"Oh, give me that," Suki said, approaching as Sokka struggled to dislodge the axe after his most recent swing. She gently pushed him out of the way, taking his place in front of the axe. Gracefully she pulled the axe free, leaned back, and slammed it into the tree again in one sweeping motion. It dug deep, cutting into the tree farther than Sokka had done in four pitiful chops.

"Why are we-" Suki began, slamming the axe into the wood again, the echo punctuating her words, "chopping down - live trees? Wouldn't the burnt - do just as well?"

Sokka shook his head. "The burnt trees may still be strong, but I'd rather have the best when we go out onto the ocean. There's no telling how powerful the waves will be."

"I suppose that makes sense," Suki said. She made one final dent in the tree, and it began to crack. "Watch out!"

Suki quickly positioned herself beside the tree, watching as it shook, leaning ominously. It picked up speed as it began to fall, and crashed loudly, branches breaking as it struck the ground. She had expertly cut so as to make it fall away from the other healthy trees. Sokka was impressed.

They continued their work, felling tree after tree, the light of dieing fire in the clouds above giving them enough to work by. As Suki worked on the trunks of the tree, Sokka began to snap branches off, and cleared himself a large work area. Overhead the smoke began to clear a little, revealing the moon as it made its way across the sky. After felling two dozen trees, Suki began using the axe to chop the larger branches. They arranged the cleaned trunks in a row, Sokka sweating from the exertion. A couple hours of rope work later and the horizon began to glow with the light of dawn, illuminating the large raft on the ground before them. It was crude, but it would get the job done.

With an exhausted sigh, Sokka flopped down on the raft. He yelped as the stub of a branch dug into his back. Mumbling under his breath, he rubbed the bruise, ignoring Suki's chuckling.

"We should get some sleep before we sail out," Sokka said, settling himself on a slightly smoother part of the raft. "We'll need our full strength for the ride to the mainland."

Suki nodded in agreement, stretching out beside Sokka. He wrapped his arm around her stomach, and a moment later his exhaustion had washed over him, sending him into the dark recesses of slumber.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed that, and I hope to see you all again shortly. :D_


	12. Unpleasantries

_I hope you enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: There are many things that I own. Your soul is one of them. Avatar, however, is not._

* * *

"Their deaths are on your hands..."

Zuko's head whipped around, eyes searching frantically through the darkness for the source of the whispers. Sweat poured down his face, and his breathing came in ragged gasps. "Who's there?" he called into the dark. His voice echoed back at him, louder, more intense. He covered his ears with his hands, his head pounding under the stress.

"It was your fault..."

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the voices. The whisper echoed as well, adding to his own question, melding to become a ear-splitting cacophony. Zuko wanted to scream. He wanted to run, to get away from it all.

"Who are you talking about?" Zuko shouted back at the darkness, but his only reply was more echoes. His body vibrated in their intensity. His head felt like butter against a hot knife, the searing pain turning his vision white.

A sensation washed over Zuko, like boiling vile engulfing his body. He cracked an eye open, and was met with two glaring red eyes staring back at him. They peered through him, into his soul, evil and angry. Zuko let out a scream, but nothing escaped his lips. He was paralyzed, at the mercy of this creature of the dark.

"We are coming... for you..." the whisper sliced through his entire essence, ripping him apart. He cried out in agony as his entire body was crushed, burned, boiled. His mind raged in protest, futily flailing against the utter torment that tore through him.

_Kill me!_ Zuko thought, trying to make his lips work. _End it! Please!_ He would have wept if he could.

A light opened up behind the demon's eyes, barely recognizable in his state of anguish. Zuko reached out to it, trying to grab onto anything that would save him. It grew larger, and with it the pain began to dissipate. The demon roared in frustration, its eyes chasing him, trying to stop him from reaching the expanding light. Zuko ignored it, racing toward the salvation. He would be free. In a second, he would be-

A hand grabbed his ankle, the flesh scorching his own. Zuko cried out, his paralysis dissipating. He wrenched his ankle, trying to escape the creature's grip. Terror wracked his chest. The light was so close. He could escape. He _had_ to!

His ankle finally came free, and Zuko dived into the light. It engulfed him, washing away pain and terror together. It was glorious! It was miraculous!

It was over.

Groaning, Zuko opened his eyes, sunlight from the open window splashing against his face. A slight breeze blew through, rustling the silk sheets that wrapped him tightly. Blinking, he felt his mind recover, felt it begin to grasp onto reality, onto where he really was. He was in bed.

Rolling over, Zuko let out a sigh. The image of the demon was plastered against his mind's eye. The memory of pain and fear made him cringe. He tried to banish it, to clear his mind, but it didn't work.

_Bloody dream..._ It had been odd. And frightfully realistic. Zuko wasn't one to extract meanings from his dreams, but this one... it sat wrong with him. Like it was more than a dream. Not that that told him anything.

Zuko shifted, and a sharp pain went through his chest. Clenching his jaw, he suddenly remembered why he was in bed. The assassin, the blood. The odd firebending. He had been bedridden that day, too, with some sort of illness. Had he been drugged in preparation for the assassination? And why hadn't the assassination worked? He certainly hadn't put up much of a resistance.

Questions surged into Zuko's mind, and he stared up at the bed's tarp above. Why had he been nearly assassinated? By whom? What were their motives? Would there be another attempt? Zuko's head throbbed, both from the pain in his chest and from the dream. _And from oversleeping,_ Zuko thought. Judging by the angle of the sun through his window, it was early morning. He'd slept nearly twenty-four hours, at least.

Slowly Zuko made an attempt to sit up, his chest protesting heavily. As he did so, he shifted his foot. A dull but painful throb echoed through his leg, and he frowned. Gingerly he pulled the sheets back and brought his pant leg up to expose his ankle. It was red and raw, the skin festering, as though it had been badly burned.

"What the..." Zuko whispered, running a finger over the raw skin. It snapped a shot of pain back at him, and he winced.

"Oh!" a feminine voice exclaimed. Zuko pivoted his head to see one of his maids enter the room. Gethena was squat and plump, and she often treated Zuko more as her grandson that her Lord. That in itself was surprising. Ozai had weeded out most of the palace staff that weren't both efficient and properly reverent.

Gethena smiled warmly at Zuko. "I'm so glad to see that you're awake. Give me a pip, and I'll be back with something hot to eat." She disappeared in a whirl of red cloth and black hair.

Zuko turned back to his ankle, prodding at it. Was it related to the questions he already had? Could someone... hurt him through a dream?

Remembering the odd firebending Zuko had seen moments before passing out, only one name came to mind that could have accomplished both the firebending and the odd dream. The Bloodsworn. From his brief talk with his father, he knew that the Bloodsworn had powers that he'd never seen before. Could they account for both oddities? If the assassination attempt was from the Bloodsworn, and Azula had gotten tangled up with them, then the motive for the assassination was clear. Azula would want the Fire Nation's throne. Returning the Fire Nation to its previous state of war and tyranny would be Azula's goal.

So the Bloodsworn was, as Zuko saw it, the best explanation he could come up with to explain the gaping hole in his chest. The only explanation, really. Zuko glanced at the white linen bandages that covered his chest, a large red blotch staining the fabric only inches from his heart. The possibility that someone else was responsible, that another group had executed an assassination attempt using rather unconventional means, worried Zuko. They already had the Bloodsworn to deal with, and they were going to be a handful alone. A second enemy could very well spell disaster, especially with Aang as indisposed as he was.

"Alright, Zuko," Gethena's melodic voice chimed. She had returned with a tray balanced on her hand, a bowl of steaming soup and a small pot of hot tea atop it. Zuko raised an eyebrow at the lack of an honorific, but didn't say anything. Gethena never forgot her place in public - he wouldn't scold her for a forgotten title in the privacy of his own rooms.

As Gethena set the tray down on Zuko's lap and took the pot to pour a cup of tea, she asked, "How is your chest healing, dear? Would you like me to call the doctor? Those bandages may need changing."

"It's fine for the moment," Zuko said, dipping a spoon into his thick soup. His stomach growled ravenously - he hadn't realized how hungry he was.

Gethena set both cup and pot on the small bedside table, turning to him. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

Zuko swallowed a mouthful of the hot liquid. It ran down his throat, heating his insides and working to relax his sore muscles. "Could you ask the palace accountant to bring the reports I've missed?" He wanted to simply lie back and sleep some more, to relax and give his chest time to heal, but he knew a working kingdom wouldn't wait for him to get better. He'd have to catch up on his mundane chores and decide on what to do about the Bloodsworn while he rested. Besides, if that dream was waiting for him again, he wasn't sure he wanted to go back to sleep.

Gethena seemed to hesitate, as though considering denying Zuko his work. Finally she sighed, nodding. "Just make sure you eat all that food, mind. Goodness knows your body hasn't eaten in days."

Zuko froze with a spoon to his mouth. He hadn't seriously entertained the possibility of having been unconscious for more than a day. "How long was I...?"

"You been out for three days now," Gethena replied. "I'll go fetch Tao. Eat." Gethena made a pointed gesture at Zuko's soup - as though it wasn't already half gone - and disappeared once more through the door.

_Gods!_ Three days! Zuko would be up to his knees in paperwork. And his people would be frantic! He'd have to get himself out of bed and back into the daily routine even faster than he'd feared. Sighing, Zuko leaned into the pillows in resignation. There went any hope of rest he'd had left.

* * *

Ty Lee stood at the golden gates of the Bei Fong mansion, staring up at the intricate metalwork and trimmed hedges that stretched in both directions. A cobblestone path led into the grounds, and in the distance, Ty Lee could see the enormous building looming up over a vast garden filled with beautiful colours and marble fountains. It was one of the richest estates Ty Lee had seen, and she had spent more than her share of time with Azula at her family's vacation spots.

Despite her awe, Ty Lee could tell immediately that something was amiss. For starters, the front gate was ajar, swaying slightly in the light breeze. Secondly, there wasn't any sign of activity. No servants tending to the grounds, or people going about their business around the house. The entire estate felt deserted.

As Ty Lee stepped around the gate and onto the cobbled path, she gave the grounds a sweeping glance. The garden looked picturesque, like a moment frozen in time. Bushes of flowers bordered pathways that ran in intricate patterns throughout the garden. Fountains trickled, statues sat as stone sentinels, and trees fluttered in the wind. A small stream ran through the garden, passing under sweeping bridges. It was as unnerving as it was beautiful.

"Hello...?" Ty Lee called tentatively. She made her way toward the house slowly. Her legs were tense, and she walked on the balls of her feet, ready to defend herself at the first sign of danger. Something here was definitely off.

No one answered her call. She gave another, this one louder and more insistent, but there was no reply. Sighing, she climbed the mansion's front steps. The doors were covered with scrollwork and lined with gold. Hesitantly, Ty Lee pressed a hand to the door. It opened without resistance.

As soon as she stepped into the house, the smell hit her. She doubled over, trying not to hurl in the entryway. The pungent stench of rotting flesh was thick on the air. Eyes watering, Ty Lee glanced up, trying to decide where the stench was coming from. Her eyes, however, fell on something a little more interesting and a lot less gruesome. A section of the wooden floor was missing. A loose contraption stood beside it, dangling, as though it had held something aloft. Ty Lee walked over to it, a hand pressed to her face to block out as much of the smell as possible, and inspected it. She didn't understand how it worked, or what it was for. _If only Sokka was here, or Iroh..._

Deciding that the meaning of the device was lost on her, she continued deeper into the house. She moved as though ready for a fight, even though it seemed obvious that the house was deserted. She didn't want to be caught by an ambush, however unlikely that seemed.

As she passed the rooms, she glanced in, trying to find a source of the smell. It grew stronger as she continued deeper into the house. The hallways were as rich as the garden, porcelain vases atop marble stands, tapestries hanging from the walls depicting scenes of all sorts. Unlit torches hung from polished stands along the wall, and down one hall there was even chandeliers swaying from the roof, wax hanging from the spent candles.

Ty Lee turned down a corner into a wide hall, and the stench suddenly became overwhelming. Squinting through her tears, she entered a large bedroom - and emptied her stomach. Flies circled pools of dried blood and bits of flesh that littered the floor. It centered around a large chest, top swung open, at the end of an even larger bed. And in the chest were two bodies, the rotting flesh poking out the top. It was by far the most gruesome thing Ty Lee had ever seen. Even worse than the King back in Ba Sing Se. There were no trademark signs of the Bloodsworn - not that Ty Lee would know any if she saw them - but she had to guess that they were responsible here, too. Her stomach gave a heave, and she turned away, legs threatening to buckle.

She moved to leave the house, deciding that she'd gotten all she needed from here. The house's inhabitants were perhaps a week dead, probably at the hands of Bloodsworn. Ty Lee had never met Toph's parents, but she suspected that either they were the ones stuffed in the chest, or they met similar fates elsewhere in the house. Either way, Ty Lee didn't intend to spend any more time in the house. Maybe Iroh could make something out of the information she had gathered.

Ty Lee hoped Toph had escaped unscathed, that she was out looking for Aang and the others. In any case, Ty Lee was returning with very grim news.

* * *

_Thanks for reading, and for reviewing if you do so!_


	13. News

_Sorry it took so long to get this up. I can't guarantee that the next one will be faster either. Anyway, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. The voices tell me otherwise... but my therapist says we don't listen to the voices._

* * *

Snow soaked through Aang's pant legs as he stood on the hill overlooking the Southern Water Tribe's city. The sun stood in a cloudless sky overhead, its heat not reaching Aang's skin. He pulled his coat tight against the strong wind that blew across the valley, picking up tufts of snow and swirling them around. It would have almost been beautiful, had he not been too preoccupied to notice.

People bustled through the streets, small blobs passing by one another like water rushing down a river. They seemed agitated, hurrying to their destinations with more urgency than if they were simply going about their daily chores. Aang suspected he knew why. The Earth King had been assassinated, and Iroh had suggested that other leaders around the world had met the same fate. If the Southern Water Tribe's chief had been killed... Zuko...

Aang had been standing atop that hill for nearly an hour, watching the people, worrying. He knew that he should get Katara and move on to the Fire Nation as quickly as possible - there was still a chance Zuko hadn't been attacked yet. But he knew that chance was slim. In terms of reaping chaos, Zuko was on the same level as the Earth King, if not higher. Killing Zuko would snap the tenuous stability of the Nation that he and Aang had been able to achieve so far. The Fire Nation had already lost one emperor in the past few years, a loss that shattered a century-long empire. Losing another would shake the country to the core. Aang wasn't sure he wanted to reach the Fire Nation. Not if it was to find Zuko dead...

That wasn't what kept him atop the hill, however. The people in the city below him, they didn't know. _Katara_ didn't know. Know that two of the greatest warriors of their time had fallen. Aang felt numb inside, the cold slipping off him, his emotions spent. Sokka was dead. Suki was dead. Aang was not looking forward to having to pass that news on to Katara.

True, Aang hadn't actually seen the bodies. Even had he passed over every dead body in that village, he doubted he would have found Sokka, or Suki. Most of the bodies had been charred or mutilated beyond recognition. The state of the island had held little hope of survivors, though. And Aang had spent the better part of an hour calling out for any.

It still didn't make sense. Aang had spent a portion of the ride south trying to figure out why Kyoshi Island had been attacked. Not to ambush him, he presumed. Was Sokka's life important to them? Perhaps they were striking out at anyone instrumental in the Fire Nation's defeat. But that didn't make sense. The Fire Nation's downfall had appeared to be in their best interests. Then _why?_

Aang unclenched his fists, taking deep breaths to attempt to soothe his sudden frustration. This wasn't the time for that. He had to get Katara, and he needed all his calm about him for that. Not that Aang could do anything to comfort Katara. Not in this.

Sighing, Aang patted Appa on the leg and began to trudge his way through the snow toward the city's frozen gates. A well-worn road led from it through the snow, and Aang soon broke through the snow drifts onto the road. The gates loomed before him, sparkling in the weak sun.

People jostled by him as he entered the city, running this way and that, shouting anxiously across the streets to friends or family. People carried children in their arms, baskets of items on their shoulders. A large stream left the city through the gates, fleeing to smaller, more stable villages, while others darted around looking for safety within the walls. It was all the chaos that Aang had glimpsed in Ba Sing Se and more.

Nearly as discouraging as the hectic crowds was the lack of city noises. Aang couldn't hear the sound of hawkers crying their wares on the street corners, nor the dull clink of a blacksmith's hammer or the rattling of a weaver's loom. Perhaps they were drowned out by the crowds, but Aang doubted it. People wouldn't be going about their daily business today. Not if the same thing happened here as in Ba Sing Se.

A number of people stood tall on boxes, shouting to the crowds. As Aang passed, he caught snippets of what they were saying, and frowned. "-war rises on our door, preparing to sweep away not only our soldiers but our families-" and "-doomed and dieing world! Flee now while-" and "-Avatar has abandoned us to our misery once more!" were among the things he caught. It made Aang sick. All talk like that would do is serve to sew even more chaos. It was worse than annoying. It was dangerous.

Aang ignored it for the moment, however. He wore the thick hood of his coat up over his head to cover his tattoos, his hands buried deep in their sleeves. He didn't want people to recognize him, to pick him out of the crowd and attempt to blame him for everything, or demand that he protect them. It struck him deeply that he couldn't do just that, that he had to hide from his duties. _Blasted collar!_ Aang screamed in his head, tugging at the hunk of metal wrapped around his neck. So simple in design, so innocent looking, and yet it prevented him from helping the world in its time of need. People were dieing, chaos was wrapping around the people's, _his_ people's, necks, and he was hiding, abandoning them because of his own problems. Again.

It took all his restraint not to rip his hood off and confront one of the doomsayers shouting on the street corners. Not because it would do any good, but simply to relieve his own guilt, to give the people some comfort in knowing he hadn't completely deserted them. If they discovered his predicament, however - if they discovered him completely useless in terms of power, it would do more harm than good. The Avatar hadn't abandoned them, he'd been subdued by the enemy. Crushed with ease. It would strike the people with fear.

Rounding the corner that led to Katara's home, he nearly ran into the very person he was looking for. Katara stood at the corner, her arms crossed as she stared down a woman standing tall on her box. The doomsayer wore more beads and ornaments than Aang thought possible; her long, flowing black hair was entangled with strands of beads and small trinkets, her neck and arms covered in necklaces and bracelets. Her blue dress and tunic were fancily cut and embroidered, marking her more than just a commoner. She smiled down at Katara, arrogance plastered across her face.

"-done so once before. How is it so hard for you to believe he has not done so again?" the woman was saying. She held her hands against her stomach, calm, confident.

"Because I know him! He wouldn't do that!" Katara said, her voice laced with frustration and anger. Her hair was in more disarray that Aang had ever seen it before, and her eyes appeared as though she hadn't slept in a week. "Talking like that won't help anyone."

"The truth will not help?" the woman replied. Her voice was the embodiment of serenity. She seemed a strong contrast to the men Aang passed shouting near the gates. "In such times of chaos, why has the Avatar not appeared to help? Where is he?"

"It takes time to react, you idiot!" Katara took a step toward the woman. Her jaw was clenched. Aang took an involuntary step backwards, not wanting to get between the two. "The Avatar is extremely busy. He could have been anywhere when the Chief died!"

"Your trust in the Avatar is misplaced," the doomsayer replied. She turned her body away from Katara, dismissing her without a word. Taking a deep breath, she began to shout again at the crowds, voice suddenly loud and shrill, losing all hint of serenity.

Katara raised an arm as though to hit the woman. Aang quickly stepped forward, grabbing Katara's shoulder and placing himself between his friend and the woman. Katara's angry glare turned to him, and a moment later surprise dawned on her face.

"Aang!" she said. Aang winced at how loud she said it. "You are here! I was... wait... Why aren't you helping?"

"Shh! We need to go somewhere quiet to talk," Aang replied. Katara nodded, and a moment later they were in Katara's ice-made home. The place looked the same as it had a week ago. It was almost soothing after the loud bustle of the streets, the noise fading to a low rumble. Katara's two children were nowhere to be seen, but he'd be surprised if they were elsewhere in the chaos of the city.

As soon as they entered the house, Katara turned on her heel to face him. Her face was stern, and her arms were crossed again. _Great,_ Aang thought. _Now she's turned all that anger on me._

"What are you doing!" she began. She kept her voice down, something Aang was grateful for. "I shouldn't have to tell you that you should be out there, settling the chaos."

"Katara," Aang started, but she leaned forward, cutting him off.

"Do you understand what's happened here? The Chief was assassinated, and by Fire Nation goons no less. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Azula had done it herself, seeing as she's escaped."

"Katara!" Aang repeated, raising his voice a little.

"Our city isn't stable enough to handle an assassination like that. It's only been around for a few years. We need someone to take control, put in place a new leader. That's the Avatar's job, and you're just wandering around in hiding? I was defending you out there, and-"

"_Katara!_" Aang snapped. Katara's mouth snapped shut, and she seemed a little surprised at the heat that had entered Aang's voice. He sighed, scolding himself. Now was not the time to be yelling at Katara, especially not because she was telling him the truth. He _should_ be out there, helping the city.

"Katara..." Aang said for the fourth time. Now that he had her attention, he had no idea where to start. "The Earth King is dead."

"Oh..." Katara frowned. "That's... Aang, what's going on?"

Aang shook his head. "A lot. I'll have to fill you in later. You should know something first." Anxiety gripped at his heart. He was about to devastate one of his best friends. He'd rather be back fighting Ozai...

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Kyoshi Island was attacked a day or two ago. I couldn't find any survivors."

Katara stared blankly at him for a moment before realization settled in. Her eyes grew wide. "You... you mean..."

"I don't think Sokka lived through it..."

Katara's body slumped, and she collapsed to the floor. Sobs shook her body, the tears flowing freely down her face. Aang knelt down beside her and drew her into a hug, doing his best to comfort her. His own eyes watered, the pain of loss returning to mix with the pain of seeing a friend hurt. Katara pressed her face against his shoulder, tears soaking his coat.

"Are... are you... sure?" Katara asked between sobs.

"I didn't see a body, but I stayed and looked for anyone still alive for as long as possible."

Katara sniffed, pulling back to look at him. Her already worn eyes were now red from crying. "Then there's still hope."

Aang opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say. He wanted to express his doubts, but...

"My brother's smart," she said, wiping her eyes. Her voice was shaky but confident. Aang could see the strength return to her face, as well as Katara's usual stubborn determination "He'd find a way out."

"Katara..."

"No," Katara said, and she rose to her feet. "I won't believe Sokka's dead. Not until we know for certain." She glanced at the flap of animal skin that acted as a door as though she could see the people beyond. "I _can't_ believe it. Not now." She gave a sigh. "Not when I have to be strong."

Hesitantly, Aang nodded. He knew what she was doing. She was denying her brother's death to avoid the pain, if temporarily. He had seen it often. And he agreed with her. With the Bloodsworn on the rampage, and war looming over the world once more, it was probably best that she remained strong - for the moment, anyway.

"I want you to come with me," Aang finally broke the silence that had settled over the room. "We need to go to Zuko. He may be in trouble."

Katara turned toward him, her eyes still puffy. She frowned, shaking her head. "I can't leave my people. And Niabi and Katcha..."

"Can you find someone to look after them?" Aang asked. "I'm afraid that what's about to come could be bad. Really bad. I could use your help."

Confusion showed on Katara's face, but she nodded. "I'll leave the kids with Gran," she said.

Aang smiled humourlessly. "I'll explain things on the way."

* * *

_Why am I surrounded by blustering, babbling, incompetent_ idiots_!_

Azula was absolutely enraged. Her fingernails dug into the palm of her hands as she glared at the man kneeling before her. She clenched and unclenched her jaw, trying to think of the best way to berate the moron. Or maybe she could just kill him. Her father hadn't hesitated to have someone executed for a blunder this immense.

No, Azula decided. Her father was as big an idiot as the rest of them. She would have this man - this _failure_ - punished, make sure the others knew the consequences of messing up, but she wouldn't kill him. He could still be useful for menial tasks, and there were worse things than death.

"My Lady..." the man - Haay - stared up at her. His eyes were hesitant, frightened. As well the should be. If he had any inkling of what she was going to do with him...

Azula lashed out with her hand, blue fire engulfing it. The back of her hand snapped against Haay's cheeks, and he screamed, his own hand coming up to cover the burnt flesh.

"You'll not fail me again," Azula said, forcing her voice to be cold and emotionless. She was anything but emotionless. She was livid! "I will send word of your punishment to the Slavemaster. Attend him now. Go!"

Haay scrambled to his feet and left the small cave room at a near run. Azula watched him go with a frown.

So, Zuko had avoided death once more. Her loathsome little brother had a habit of getting in her way. The fact that she had a personal hatred of him, however, was beside the point. Her plan had been to take out the heads of the world's governments all at once, while they felt safe, and eliminate possible resistance when she made her move. Even Aang had been incapacitated, although her peoples' failure to deliver him to her still grated her teeth. Without his Avatar powers, there was less of a chance that people would be willing to rally behind him. Maybe. But if Zuko were still alive, then the Fire Nation would hold strong against her forces. Mentally Azula weighed her chances against the entire might of the Fire Nation's military. Zuko had crippled its military in the naive presumption of peace, but they still held a sizable force. The odds didn't favour her as much as she would like, but it was still doable. And after the failed attempt on Zuko's life, security around the palace and the Fire Lord would be severely heightened. A second attempt would be foolish.

Leaving the small, purposeless room, Azula entered the vast cave network beyond. It stretched for miles into the mountain, carved out manually by the early members of the Bloodsworn. It was an awe inspiring feat, but Azula intended to do more. She would take the Bloodsworn farther than they had ever been. The whole world would know of her power.

She slipped down a nearby narrow hall leading off the main cavern, following it to the cluster of rooms at the end. If Haay's account was to be believed - and Azula doubted highly that the coward would have the guts to try lying to her - then Zuko would be laid up with a serious chest wound. She still had a window of opportunity to strike. Even a failed assassination would have made an impact on the people. She would cut out the heart of the beast with an airbourne raid. The capital would fall before the army could fall back to the city - her reports had the majority of them patrolling the seas and protecting the villages from the small bandit raids that had sprung up with the fall of her father's empire. Taking control of the capital would do three things - give her the high ground, from where she could defend herself from the army's retaliation and begin to wrestle control of the entire Nation; show the strength of her own force, hopefully scaring any opposers into submission; and rid herself of Zuko, the last remaining world leader except the Avatar himself. The people would have no other choice but to follow her. Perhaps Zuko would even lead her to the Avatar, and she could continue the second phase of her plan.

The cluster of caves held three highly important rooms. She entered the one on her left, and was greeted by a tall man in a black robe. He bowed low, his long, silvery hair nearly sweeping the floor.

"What do you have for me today, Ying?" Azula demanded of the elderly man. He looked frail now, but she knew the mind behind that wrinkled face was still as sharp as ever. "It had better be good news."

"My Lady," the man said as he straightened himself. "I heard of the misfortune that befell your plans in the Fire Nation. My condolences on your brother's endurance."

Azula waved a dismissive hand. "It won't do to dwell on the past, Ying," she said, approaching the large table at the center of the room. It held both detailed and broad maps of the entire known world, many of them marked up with tacks indicating field agents, small assault units, and a dozen other things. Normally the room was crowded with the Bloodsworn's generals, but today only Ying surveyed the maps, realigning tacks as new information came in.

"Perhaps," Ying replied. He loomed over the table, inspecting the markers thoughtfully. "Though I have often found that learning from past mistakes can be helpful."

"I don't make mistakes," Azula snapped. "Everyone else does."

"Of course, My Lady," Ying nodded. He stood in thought for a moment before pointing at a red chip on the table. "New information from Ba Sing Se has arrived. It appears that someone is attempting to restore order in the city."

"Who?" Azula asked, but she felt she knew the answer. Blast her family! She should have killed them when she had the chance.

Ying glanced at her, torchlight twinkling in his eye. "Your Uncle, it seems."

Azula gave a resigned sigh. She would have to decide how best to deal with him. In the mean time, all she could hope for was that the people of Ba Sing Se would be hesitant to put their trust in the General that had once led an army on their walls.

Continuing his reports, Ying motioned toward one of the yellow markers. It covered the small blip that represented Kyoshi Island. "The strike force sent to gather the third jewel was successful," he said, his scratchy voice dry and calculating. "They annihilated the entire village to get it."

"Only another display of our power," Azula replied. Three jewels. Only two more to go. They were growing more difficult to obtain, but they were sorely needed. Still, Azula suspected the "annihilation" of the village hadn't been necessary. The members of the Bloodsworn were becoming anxious for action. No wonder, after having been locked in hiding for the better part of a millenia.

"Three more recruitments have been made in Summer City," Ying said, sweeping his hand over to a green marker attached on one of the Fire Nation's islands. "Suspicions are growing higher from the city's residents. I suggest we pull our men there out for the moment."

"Yes," Azula sighed. That was the problem with recruiting for the Bloodsworn. Each new recruit caused a group of loved ones to run to the city's leader with a missing person's report. Too many recruits in one area meant they had to retract their feelers there for awhile. Azula could only imagine the sizable force they would have if they could remain in one place for more than a few weeks.

"Omashu," Ying continued, pointing at the large Earthen city, "has reportedly fallen into utter chaos with the loss of their King. Our correspondents there predict Omashu's inevitable downfall within the week."

Azula nodded, a small smile tugging at her mouth. She had met the King of Omashu once, an insufferable fool that had gone completely mad. How he had managed to become King was something she had never puzzled out.

"Is that all?" Azula asked, noticing that the general had fallen silent.

Ying nodded. "We should have more information for you soon," he replied. That was always how he answered the question.

"Good, because I have news for you," Azula said. She felt her heart beating faster, adrenaline being released into her veins. That was silly - this was simply an order, not the battle itself. "Gather your generals. We assault Fire Nation Capital in three days."

Ying blinked, and opened his mouth as though to protest, but apparently thought better of it. "Of course, My Lady," he said, bowing his head. "We will have the strategies ready for your review by nightfall."

"Good," Azula repeated, and spun on her heels, exiting the room. Behind her she could hear Ying scrambling to prepare for an emergency meeting. She let a smile spread across her face. It was done. In three days they would be assaulting Zuko and his pathetic ruse he called a reign.

Crossing the cavern hallway, Azula entered an antechamber-like-cave, stripped bare of furnishings. It led through to three smaller rooms. The torchlight from the antechamber flickered into the dark caves, casting dim shadows of their contents. One, she knew, was empty, prepared and saved for a very important prisoner - if they could ever catch him. The second held a scrawny man in drab, blue clothes. He hung limply from his chains, his eyes closed. She would have presumed him dead, had she not known better.

Azula entered the third chamber, her body blocking out the light from the antechamber. In the depths of the darkness something stirred, no doubt hearing Azula enter. The girl's tenacity was almost to be admired. Taking another step forward, she let the light flicker in the room again, illuminating the silhouette of a small girl in dirty, torn green clothes. She hung from her wrists, wooden shackles suspending her over a large wooden plank. Azula knew the dangers this small girl imposed. She had had to take a great deal of care with her.

"You... bastard..." Toph muttered. She didn't lift her head up to look at Azula. The girl was blind, though you wouldn't know it if you let her walk freely on the ground.

"Shush," Azula patted the girl on the head. She made a weak attempt to jerk her head out of the way.

Toph was by far Azula's most prized capture. She was, after all, the most powerful earthbender known. She would work perfectly for her plans. The waterbender was lackluster compared to her - Azula would have liked to capture that waterbender brat the Avatar had traveled with, but her spies reported that she spent her time in the heart of the Southern Water Tribe's new city, a fairly crowded city despite it's relatively new birth. Even if kidnapping her was possible, and Azula doubted a well-trained Bloodsworn would have had much problem extracting even a powerful waterbender from the city, she didn't trust herself not to torture and kill the girl. It was her fault, after all, that Azula had been imprisoned. _Hum,_ Azula thought to herself. _Maybe I_ should _have her kidnapped, just for the joy of it._ It would mean one less member of the Avatar's ragtag team to come against her when she succeeded in capturing the Avatar.

"Come to kiss me again?" Toph's voice was croaky from disuse. Azula touched her own lips, remembering her visit a couple days before. She couldn't say why she had kissed the girl. Certainly there was no attraction between them. She chuckled to herself. Perhaps she was going insane like everyone said.

"No," Azula sighed. "I've come to put you into hibernation."

"Hiber...?"

"I need you to stay alive until I need you," Azula clarified. "Now that your body is beginning to shut down on it's own, I can send it into a deep sleep. You won't awake until the ritual."

"What ritual?" Toph raised her head slightly.

Azula ignored the question. She pulled a knife from her black Bloodsworn jerkin, the steel catching the faint torchlight from outside. She ran her thumb along the blade, the sharp metal slicing into her flesh easily. A slight jolt of pain shot through her hand, and she smiled. Over the years she had come to enjoy that pain, to revel in it. It was something magnificent, a portal to beautiful power. Blood seeped from the cut. Not much, but enough to allow her to paint her palm red.

After doing so she ignited her firebending, directing it through the blood. It flashed, then burned at a dull roar, it's flames a sickly green colour. She moved her hand to Toph's forehead, watching the flame slip inside the girl's skull.

"Wha-!" Toph exclaimed. She let out a strangled yelp, struggling to pull away from Azula's hand. A second later her body fell limp, swaying gently in the wooden cuffs.

"Sleep well," Azula smiled. She kept the flame burning - she'd use it to put the waterbender asleep as well. As she turned to leave the room she let a deep chuckle rumble through her body. Three days and they would assault the Fire Nation openly. Not long after that, and Azula would know the true meaning of power.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! I'll be back with more as soon as I can! Don't get struck by lightning!_


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